Cold
by malifcbfan1899
Summary: All Loki ever wanted was to be seen as Thor's equal. By Nine Realms. By Odin and Frigga. By her. No - for her, he wanted to be the only one. Loki/Sif ( pre- and during Thor )
1. Chapter 1

**Fresh start feels really great. I got stuck with all my other stories, so I need to find my inspiration again. After watching Thor and Thor: The Dark World again, I found it in our favourite God of Mischief ( I guess Loki has that kind of effect ;) ).**

**So, I discussed with myself how this story would go. It had to show at least some small parts that weren't in the movies, but came from my head and it had to show Loki's relationships with other characters in a different light. **

**So, I started from romantic interest ( because it's the easiest one :) ). I decided it would not be Jane for a simple reason; I could never relate to her ( maybe it's because I totally suck at physics :P ). It's not that I don't like her or that she annoys me; I just never cared about her. I find Darcy really cool, I like characters who have a sarcastic comment to any situation, but since she's never had any contact with Loki, I had to give her up too. I wanted either a formed relationship or a completely clean sheet on Loki's relationship with that person and Darcy was kind of in the middle ( she was there, but not there with Loki ). I gave up the OC idea because there are many fanfics with bad-ass, seemingly cold OCs ( which are probably the only ones I can write well ). **

**And then I realized there already was a perfect mix of everything I was looking for in the story. So a Loki/Sif idea started to develop in my head.**

**This fic is based off Thor movie, without any reference to Norse mythology ( although I really like those stories too ), so Sif's family is completely made up, names, ages and appearances, everything. So is everything you don't recognize from the movies. And everything you do recognize from the movies belongs to their owners. If you wonder where the inspiration for the title of the fic and many feels that would appear in it comes from ( besides the obvious hint at Loki's origins ), it's the song _Cold_ by Crossfade. Don't own it, but I couldn't love it more even if I did.**

**English is not my first language, so please forgive for any mistake I've accidentally made :)**

**I hope you'll like it :)**

"Sif!" a familiar voice echoed the yard. "Sif, where are you?"

"Somewhere else!" Sif called back sarcastically, knowing there was no use in trying to hide. She spent almost every afternoon in the yard, practicing with her sword; everyone knew that. _I have to find another place for practicing._

"Sif!"

"Adelia!" Sif rolled her eyes at her sister, lowering down the sword. Adelia could be very clumsy sometimes. It would do no good if she would accidentally stumble over her own feet and get Sif's sword run through her chest, especially tonight.

"Why are you not dressed yet?" Adelia spoke in most patronizing voice. "We are going to be late for All-Father's birthday!"

"He's a god, Adie. We can miss one of his birthdays. He'll have thousands more anyway." Sif was only joking, of course, she would never show disrespect for Odion All-Father. He was the greatest warrior of Asgard and Sif's biggest hero.

Discontent on Adelia's face amused Sif endlessly, enough that she grinned despite having been interrupted in her training. She loved the way Adie's face frowned when she used the nickname. Her sister wanted to be all grown-up and despised every attempt of proving her still a child. Not to mention there was absolutely no way to make a nickname for Sif, so she couldn't get back on her.

"We cannot!" Adelia exclaimed in serious tone. "We'll get to meet the princes tonight!"

_The princes._ Sif sighed. Adelia had always seen them as heroes who would one day save damsels in distress ( and she desperately hoped she would be one of those particular damsels in distress ). The thought, on the other hand, caused the desire to vomit in Sif. She would never be a damsel in distress. She would always save herself on her own.

"You can go meet them on your own." Sif moved away from her sister so she could continue her practice. "I have no interest in that."

Adelia opened her mouth to object, but she was interrupted by another call.

"Sif!"

"Mother." Sif swallowed hardly as she turned around to face her mother. It was one thing to get rid of Adelia. Getting rid of Mother was a riddle she still couldn't solve.

"We are to leave in the matter of minutes." her mother shot her a gaze that would make All-Father himself stiffen. "Why aren't you ready?"

"I've lost track of time." she shrugged her shoulders innocently. _But, I am not sorry._

"Adelia, go help your sister dress up." Mother commanded.

Sif stiffened. She could handle dressing up ( more or less ), but not when Adelia assisted her.

"Please, Mother, I can do it on my own." she pleaded. "I'll be back before you know it, just let me do it on my own."

"No." Mother shook her head with a small grin playing on her lips. "We do not have time for that. Let this be a lesson for you, Sif, never to lose track of time again."

Sif glanced at her sister and saw her grinning. Adelia always tried to make Sif more ladylike; she enjoyed correcting Sif's curtsies, singing, dancing. The only thing she couldn't correct was Sif's sword-fighting. Maybe that was the reason why Sif loved it so much.

"Come, sister." Adelia commanded. "We have a lot of work to do."

* * *

><p>Sif had to admit that the palace was a breath-taking sight. Everywhere around her, people were dressed in their finest clothes, more floating than walking. Everyone's footsteps were quiet, as if they would appear rude. Sif tried her best to walk exactly like Mother and Adelia, making small steps on the tip of her toes. She could still hear her own steps, but nobody seemed to notice the noise her feet made.<p>

She was wearing a long silken dress the colour of raising sun. It was bright golden, perfectly matching Sif's dark hair and eyes which she had inherited from her father. Long sleeves loosely encircled her arms, but the corset felt too tight around her torso. Sif had never been fond of formal clothes, preferring comfort to beauty, but Mother and Adelia had insisted. Her sister and mother looked almost exactly alike; curls of reddish-brown hair fell down their shoulders in most elegant way. They both wore light blue dresses, but Mother's was low-cut, leaving her shoulders bare, while Adelia's covered every inch of her skin except for her arms. Nonetheless, they both looked beautiful. Sif's father, who had already got engaged in some conversation, was wearing white breeches, brown coat and boots of the same colour. He had never been the one for showing off, even though he was a nobleman.

"Sif, look!" Adelia grabbed her hand in excitement. "Here they are!"

Sif looked in the direction her sister was pointing at and saw two boys around her age. The one with blond hair looked slightly older, maybe sixteen. He seemed to enjoy the feast, drinking from a cup and winking at a group of girls. The younger boy, who looked fifteen, like Sif herself, seemed rather uncomfortable. His green eyes wandered around nervously, as if the amount of people he was surrounded with frightened him. They both wore black leather clothes with few coloured details; older boy wore gold the colour of his hair, while younger one wore green. They were accompanied by an older man, but Sif still held her breath; it was Odin himself. She wished she was wearing her battle armour instead of the dress; how would anyone recognize her as a warrior if she looked like this?

"Come." Father called them. "We shall offer our best wishes."

As Odin received congrats from other people in the room, Sif was trying her best to compose herself. In stories she had read, warriors always had a special gleam in their eyes, something that separated them from others. All she had to was to look All-Father in the eyes and he would see that gleam and recognize her as someone worthy of training as one of his warriors. But, was it even permitted to look All-Father in the eyes? She didn't know.

"My king, princes, may I present you my wife Elisa, and my daughters Adelia and Sif."

At hearing her father's voice saying her name, she raised her head and met Odin's one eye. She could not help herself but to blush. All of her ideas about gleam in warrior's eyes were gone in a second.

"Thor, Loki, why don't you ask these two lovely ladies for a dance?" she heard Odin's voice.

It made raise her head, but only to see Thor staring cockily at Adelia. He stretched his hand out towards her, making Sif's sister giggle quietly. Of course, Adelia immediately accepted offered hand and wandered off to the dance floor with the eldest prince, leaving Sif in uncomfortable silence with the other one.

She met Loki's gaze for a split second before he looked away from her. She felt sadness and even a prick of jealousy. Had he hoped Thor would choose her, so he could dance with Adelia? Why was Sif, even all dressed up and ladylike, always everyone's last choice?

"You don't have to dance with me." she addressed him coldly. "I'm not overly fond of dancing anyway."

Her rudeness at least made him look at her again. Surprise definitely wasn't the expression she had expected to see in his emerald-green eyes.

"I'd love to dance with you." he said and then blushed. "But, if you don't want to dance with me ..."

Sif didn't know what to make of his words. Did he want to dance or not?

"I'll dance with you if you want me to." she shrugged her shoulders. "You are a prince. I have to listen to you."

"You don't." he hurriedly said, as if trying to reassure her. "If you would rather dance with my brother, that's alright. Most girls do."

"I'd rather not dance at all." she glared at Adelia, knowing her older sister would be insufferable if she embarrassed her in front of the royal family. "But, if I must, I'd rather be done with it as soon as possible."

"That makes the two of us." Loki stretched his hand out towards her, his lips shaping a shy smile. "May I ask for this dance, Lady Sif?"

"You may, Prince Loki." she accepted his hand and curtsied. Lady Sif. Nobody had ever called her 'Lady Sif'. People always tried to make her look and behave like a lady, but they always saw a tomboy. For the first time in her life, she felt comfortable playing the part, because someone believed it. And as much as she hated to admit it, 'Lady Sif' had an appealing ring to it.

"Just Loki, please." he said as he leaned his left hand on her back and took her left into his right. She put her right hand on his shoulder and they started to spin slowly in the rhythm of music.

She looked over his shoulder, not comfortable with looking him in the eyes now that they were so close to each other. Adelia was just laughing at something prince Thor had said. They didn't seem uncomfortable at all with being so close, making Sif wonder why she felt like both her and Prince Loki would run off in the opposite directions at first sign of any unexpected contact.

"So ... how do you like the palace, Lady Sif?"

Loki's voice drew her attention back to him. He held her gaze only for a moment before looking at something else on her face. She felt her heartbeat speed up. How big her nose seemed from this close?

"It is ... amazing." she struggled to find words. "And beautiful. And ... fascinating. Even though this is the only room I've seen."

"You should see the gardens. They are thousand times more beautiful." Loki said.

Sif didn't doubt honesty of his words, but since they had now found a subject to discuss, she could as well try to push her luck.

"What is palace's weapons-room like?" she asked. "What kinds of weapons do you have?"

Her question took Loki by surprise.

"I didn't know you were interested in weapons, Lady Sif." he was so surprised he ever forgot about his shyness. He was now looking her directly in the eyes with a newfound interest.

"I shouldn't be talking about it." she said mischievously. "But, yes, I am. I've been practicing with sword every day since I was nine."

"You must be a good fighter then." she had expected him to scold her for unladylike behaviour, so his compliment surprised her. "I bet you could take me down with no trouble."

"You are not fond of fighting?" Sif couldn't keep surprise from hearing in her voice. Weren't all boys ( and very few girls ) fond of battles?

"Not as nearly as my brother. I think that is why our father loves him better." Loki glanced in Thor's direction, but then his eyes returned back to her with a panicking glow, as if he had said something outrageous. "I don't blame him. He is a great warrior too."

"Adelia has always been our mother's favourite." Sif complained, not judging him at all for his honesty. She had more in common with this boy than she had first thought. They both knew what it was like to be pushed aside just because they loved or didn't love the right things. "She is everything our mother thinks a lady should be: she is good at singing, dancing and sewing, she is beautiful ..."

"You are beautiful too." it seemed that the words escaped Loki's lips against his will, for he blushed and looked away again.

This time, his words had caused Sif to look away too. She couldn't find the right words again.

"I ... Thank you." she managed to mumble. She was convinced her cheeks were bright red, reflecting Loki's. How had they got themselves in such an awkward situation?

For better or worse, the song ended and so did the dance. Sif pulled her hand out of Loki's, looking around to find her sister. She caught sight of Thor kissing Adelia's hand. Her eyes unwillingly went back to Loki, who was also watching the pair. For a brief moment, Sif wished he would kiss her hand as gently and respectfully, but then he looked at her again and she just wished she could run away from there, back to her sword, which wasn't as nearly as complicated and unfamiliarly familiar as the green-eyed prince.

"Thank you for the dance, Lady Sif." he didn't reach for her hand, but just bowed stiffly.

"It was my pleasure, Prince Loki." Sif curtsied, feeling both nervous and stupid. He had told her she was beautiful, so what? Why did it make them feel so uncomfortable with each other? Why did it make _her_ feel uncomfortable? Since when did she allow herself to be intimidated by boys? And why did it all feel like some stupid show they were playing for everyone around? Where had honesty between them and trust they had shown to each other gone?

"Sif!" she heard Adelia call her name.

She turned around to find her sister standing right next to her, but alone. Prince Thor was nowhere to be seen, but Adelia's expression was still full of excitement.

"Adelia, don't tell me you have lost the prince." Sif commented, finding a bit of her confidence in sarcasm. Not standing alone with Loki anymore definitely helped the cause.

"Of course I haven't." Adelia was on brink of rolling her eyes, but then she caught sight of Loki, who still didn't leave their company. She curtsied lovely in his direction, ignoring Sif's attempt at throwing her off balance. "I hope my sister's company was enjoyable for you, Prince Loki."

"Yes, it was." Loki nodded at Adelia. "Excuse me, but I have to find my brother."

He was gone so fast Sif could swear he used magic. A painful feeling took root in her chest because he hadn't even looked at her one last time before he left. She wanted to think he liked her better than Adelia, but his actions hadn't exactly matched his words and she didn't know which ones of them to trust.

"Oh, Sif, he is so beautiful and charming." Adelia sighed next to her.

For a moment, Sif thought she was talking about Prince Loki, but then she came to her senses. Adelia had barely exchanged a single sentence with Loki. How could she know he was charming? And he was, in Sif's secret opinion, in his own way.

"Did he ask you to marry him?" Sif knew she was being mean, but all she wanted now was a distraction.

"Don't be ridiculous." Adelia scolded her, but Sif could see she liked the idea. Her smile widened and her eyes shone brighter. "He asked me whether I would visit the palace again anytime soon and which was my favourite fruit. He likes pears."

_I couldn't survive without that information._ Sif thought sarcastically, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself. She didn't want to engage into a fight with her sister in the middle of palace.

"Should we find Mother and Father?" she asked, having nothing better to say.

"Yes." Adelia replied enthusiastically. "I have to tell Mother everything about Prince Thor."

Sif snorted, but the crowd around them was making too much noise for her sister to hear it. Adelia looked around and spotted their parents, so she started to make her way through. Sif followed her in silence, careful not to crash into anyone. She didn't feel comfortable with so many people being so close to her. She preferred peace and solitude.

_That makes the two of us._ Sif didn't know many people who agreed with her on anything. She was the different one, the strange, almost-unnatural one. She glanced at the crowd again, but Prince Loki was nowhere to be seen. She returned her gaze to Adelia's back, angry with herself for having tried to find him. _Why do I care about his opinion so much? He probably doesn't even remember my name anymore. And I'll soon forget his. Tomorrow perhaps._

* * *

><p>"C'mon, brother!" Thor grabbed Loki's forearm, squeezing it in his strong hand. Loki tried his best to show no sign of weakness, even though his arm hurt. "You've been sitting here alone for far too long. Have fun with us!"<p>

'Us' were Thor's friends: Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg. They were few years older, but Thor still liked their company, unlike Loki, who detested it. Hogun was too serious even for Loki's taste, while the other two each had a single interest in their life, women and food respectively. They were not company Loki would prefer even in his best mood; they were surely not company he'd like to be around now.

"I'm fine, brother." he tried to shake off Thor's hand, but without any success.

"No, you're not." Thor shook his head stubbornly. Grin was gone from his face, replaced by concerned frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Loki replied immediately.

"You are a terrible liar, Loki." his brother told him that every now and then. Loki really had to learn how to be a good liar, because kings and princes had many secrets to keep. He couldn't allow people read him like an open book.

"Really, Thor, it's nothing." he waved his hand, trying to make his brother leave him alone.

But, Thor was nothing if not stubborn.

"Who is she?"

Loki's breath stuck in his throat.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." he managed to mumble, but his voice trembled so much that a child could tell he was lying.

"Who is the lucky lady who has captured heart of my little brother?" Thor grinned victoriously. "C'mon, Loki, spill it out."

Loki finally gathered courage to look at his brother. Thor seemed amused, but this was not something Loki could easily talk about.

"Promise you won't tell anyone." he demanded. Thor's friends already mocked him enormously whenever he was around. He didn't want to give them more reasons. "Your friends or even Mother and Father."

"I promise." Thor was obviously really eager to find out the identity of the lady, for he didn't make promises he didn't intend to keep. That was one of the things Loki loved most about his brother; he could be really annoying sometimes, but he was honest and loyal to the ones he cared for. Loki was glad he belonged to that group.

"Her name is Sif." he said at last, waiting to see if Thor remembered her at all. They had been introduced tonight, but Thor's interest rarely remained in one place for long.

"Sif? The girl you have danced with?" luckily, it seemed Thor's memory wasn't clouded by a cup of wine he had drank before.

"Yes." Loki nodded. "You have danced with her sister Adelia."

"So, what it is that you find so captivating about Lady Sif?" Thor ignored his attempt of avoiding saying any more. "Never have I seen you miss all the fun because of a girl before."

"She is ..." Loki couldn't put his finger on it, but there was definitely something about Sif that enchanted him. Was it her eyes, which saw him as her equal, as Loki, not as Asgardian prince or as Thor's little brother? The lightness of her feet as she danced? The fact she was different than any girl he had ever met? So many things crossed his mind, but still he found himself lacking proper words.

Thor laughed loudly, attracting many curious gazes. Loki wanted to run away at once, but Thor still didn't let him go. He thought about using few tricks Mother had taught him, but it would do no good to start using magic among all these people. What if Sif saw him? Would she come to hate him because he was different, because he had powers he couldn't explain? Mother claimed he was like everyone else, that his powers were a gift, but he often didn't feel like that.

"I'm happy for you, brother." Thor finally stopped laughing and his tone was genuine. "Why don't you ask her to come to visit sometimes?"

"She said she wanted to see palace's weapons-room." Loki allowed himself to smile at his brother. Nervousness that had been holding his heart loosened up a bit.

"Why would she want to see that?" Thor raised his eyebrows in wonder.

"She told me she had been practicing sword-fighting for years." Loki remembered pride that had showed on Sif's face when she had mentioned it. "I guess she'd like to be a warrior one day."

"Girl? A warrior?" the idea made Thor burst out laughing, making Loki feel uncomfortable again. Was Sif also another one of his wrong choices? "Don't be ridiculous, Loki. Women can't be warriors."

"Why not? Mother is one."

"Yes, but Mother is Mother." Thor said matter-of-factly, as if no other reason was necessary.

"Sif could become just as good one day, given a chance." Loki hurried to defend Sif's honour, even if she wasn't here to hear it.

Thor looked like he was about to laugh again, but then something changed his mind.

"Let's make a bet then." he said, stretching his hand out. "I'll ask for Lady Sif's presence at one of our practices. If she proves herself good enough, she can train with us. If not ... well, you'll have to find another way to be near her."

Loki blushed again at his brother's implications, but nodded determinedly. This could be the chance Sif had been waiting for. And he would make it happen. Surely it was worthy of listening to his Thor's occasional mocking.

"Deal." he shook Thor's hand.

"Anything for my enamoured little brother." Thor grinned at him once again before leaving to join his friends.

_Please, Sif, kick his arrogant ass._ the sight of happiness he imagined on Sif's face was enough to make Loki smile widely for the first time that night._ For both of us._


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is another chapter :) Your lovely reviews really inspired me, I'm super glad you like the story. I've found that spark that had first made me start writing and I enjoy every bit of it. I just hope it won't disappear again during these next few days when I'll be busy celebrating Christmas with my family ( and probably putting on some weight, I wish all that food wasn't so delicious ;) ). So, there will be a little pause from writing for me, but I'll try to get back to the story as soon as possible. I guess you can consider this chapter an early Christmas gift. So, I wish an early merry Christmas and lots of love to everyone out there :)**

**I'm sorry for every grammar and spelling mistake in here, I hope they won't bother you too much :)**

**I hope you'll like the chapter :)**

_Left, right, left._ Sif repeated to herself as her feet moved to the 'melody' inside her head. _Forward, two, back._

Drops of sweat had already appeared on her teacher's face, but Sif knew he would not be defeated easily. If she lost her focus only for a tenth of second, Agvald would use it to his advantage and beat her. She had experienced pain of defeat after being _so_ close to victory more times than she would care to admit. She liked to think she had learned her lesson, but her passion, recklessness and even conceitedness had earned her more bruises than she could count. She would _not_ make the same mistake today.

_Forward, right, left._ she looked for weakness in his defence, something that would allow her to knock the sword out of his hands, thus claiming the victory. She was like a predator who had smelled blood; she would have her share of victorious gloating.

Two swords clashed again as Sif fortified the intensity of her attacks. Agvald wasn't as young as he had used to be, so he had trouble keeping up with her quick and lively movements. Still, Sif was tired too. Pain stung through her upper arm as she reflected Agvald's attack, keeping her arm outstretched and the tip of his sword away from her face.

_Forward is not always the answer, Sif._ his grey eyes silently repeated her most easily forgotten lesson. _Going backward doesn't mean cowardice. Sometimes it means victory._

She knew the part of him that wanted to win ( for even the best of teachers couldn't deny the wish to beat their not-so-experienced students ) wanted her to make the mistake and stubbornly refuse to give up this round. This way, he would break her defences eventually. She could not parry him in strength, no matter how much she didn't want to admit it.

_I am _weaker_._ she thought defiantly, but that defiance was directed at herself more than at him. _But, I am _faster_._

She jumped backwards and then quickly to the left, not giving Agvald opportunity to catch her. She listened to the sound of his steps as he turned around to face her once more.

_I can do it now._ this was her chance, it had to be, she could feel it. _I'm fast enough. I know I am._

She swung her sword toward his ribs, but he blocked the hit, reflecting it so strongly it almost made Sif drop her sword. He sensed her weakness and moved forward, not giving the chance to get a right grip on the hilt. She went backwards, but he caught her off guard right in the middle of the step and knocked the sword out of her hand.

Clinking echoed the yard as the metal met stone. Sif jumped away again, but in the wrong direction, left cut off from her weapon.

"And this is one of those times going backwards _doesn't_ mean victory." Agvald grinned at her, putting his sword back into sheath. "Still, it was a good fight, Sif."

She threw herself forward, rolling over next to him. The stone was cold on her skin, but she didn't care. She grabbed her sword and jumped onto her feet, placing the tip of the sword on his throat as she stood up.

"You mean, it _is_ a good fight." she grinned in amusement at his surprised expression.

He swallowed, but then he smiled.

"It is good to know that you do pay attention to my words." he said approvingly.

"The fight isn't over until _I_ say it is over." Sif quoted his many times repeated words, from the times she had still been young and naive enough to think she could beat him with only force. He had been trying to teach her the most important lesson for years and it seemed it had finally got to her head; to be a warrior, one needed to master the game of minds as much as game of swords.

Agvald knew a lot about those things, for he had taken part in war against Frost Giants alongside Odin. As one of Odin's counsellors, he had been present at many court and war councils, helping to decide what was best for the Nine Realms. He had retired from that position few years ago, opting for peaceful life away from the court rather than that of a politician, but he always spoke how training Sif in sword-fighting reminded him of his favourite memories as a young boy who shared the same dream of becoming the defender of the Nine Realms.

"And is it over now?" he raised his eyebrows challengingly.

Sif glanced at his hand, which were still too close to the hilt of his sword for her liking. She felt confused for a moment, unable to remember whether he had actually surrendered or not, but then she decided not to give him the opportunity to change his mind. She reached for his sword and pulled it out of its sheath. His sword joined hers on the other side of his throat and her grin widened ever more.

"I say it is." she said determinedly. "Because I've won."

"Sif!"

Sif turned around to answer the call, but then she felt two hands grabbing her wrists, squeezing them hardly until she was forced to drop the swords. She turned around again to find Agvald grinning at her like a mischievous child.

"Never let anything distract you." he let go of her wrists and picked up both of their swords. "That's today's lesson."

Sif frowned at him, but the frown remained on her face even when she faced Adelia. Her sister surely had the worst timing in the world.

"What?" she asked in annoyance. If Adelia had interrupted her way to victory only because of some stupid new song she had learned to sing, Sif would definitely punch her.

"You'll never guess who is speaking to Mother and Father right now!" Adelia announced ecstatically.

"Don't tell me, a new dressmaker?" Sif wiped off few drops of sweat from her forehead. She just wanted to have a hot, relaxing bath that didn't include Adelia babbling about things she didn't have slightest interest in.

"Of course not, Glenda is perfect." Adelia respected their dressmaker more than any other person in the house, save for Mother and Father. Sif was somewhat even with her, but not all the time. "It's a messenger from the palace!"

"Adie, it's been three days since the first and only time you saw him." Sif rolled her eyes at her sister's naivety. She knew Adelia hoped the messenger had been sent by Prince Thor to declare his undying love for her. "You can't expect Prince Thor to write you songs and send them to you. Besides, he hardly seems the type."

"You wouldn't speak so of him if you had met him." Adelia frowned. In her mind, it was a blasphemy to think Prince Thor wasn't perfect at everything. "He liked me, I know he did."

It was hard to remember sometimes that Sif was the younger sister. Adelia was a year older than her, but she could sometimes be annoyingly childish.

"Look, I don't care about your romance drama with the Prince. All I know that you've interrupted my best fight in a long time." she snorted, still not willing to forget Adelia for that crime. "I was just about to beat Agvald and then ..."

"Sif! Adelia!" Mother's voice interrupted Sif's accusations. Judging by Adelia's expression, it was for the best that Mother had arrived, otherwise their conversation would have turned into a fight.

"Yes, Mother?" Sif made her best 'angelic' face, pretending the fight had happened. If the messenger _had_ come for Adelia, she would be the biggest fool of all times to let herself get punished at the time Adelia wouldn't even be at home to interrupt her trainings.

"Sif, you have been invited to the palace." Mother said as soon as she reached them.

"What?" Adelia yelled at the same moment as Sif.

_Why would I be invited to the palace?_ Sif wondered for a moment, but then the face of Prince Loki came uninvited to her mind. _Is this his doing? But ..._

"Why Sif?" Adelia complained to Mother.

"It is ordered that you bring your armour and weapons, Sif." Mother glared at her, biting her lower lip in discontent. _I told you not to speak about it among strangers._ "You are to leave in few minutes."

No matter how angry Mother was or how disdainful gaze Adelia shot at her, Sif's heart beat so excitedly that she thought she would faint. This was what she had dreamt of half of her life.

Her eyes looked for teacher and found him smiling at her. He was happy for her, perhaps the only one in the household. Sif wanted so badly to pass the test, but she also wanted her teacher to be at her side. He had watched over her through all of her trainings, injuries, victories, defeats. She wanted him to witness the most important day of her young life too.

"Do ... Will you come with me?" she asked him, completely ignoring Adelia and Mother for a moment.

He approached her, handing her her sword. She didn't take it right away. She wanted to hear he would come first.

"My dear Sif." he smiled at her again, but this smile didn't reach his eyes. Instead, they became almost sad.

"You will not come." it felt somewhat like punch in the stomach. She had been so happy few moments ago, she still was, but this had ruined it a bit.

"I'm afraid I won't." he bent down a bit, so their eyes were in the same level. "But, not because I think you won't succeed in your intentions. It is just because I know that you will."

Sif raised her eyebrows in confusion. His words made no sense.

Agvald raised his head to look at Sif's mother.

"Can I have a moment alone, my lady?"

Sif turned around to look at her mother, who seemed even more discontent than before, but nodded. She leant her hand on Adelia's shoulder and they walked out of the yard.

Sif watched them until were gone out of her sight before she faced her teacher again.

"Life of a warrior is a lonesome life, Sif." he said seriously. "Every test, every challenge you will face is something you must overcome on your own. You have to get used to that from the start."

"But, I _will_ be fighting on my own." Sif protested, sensing coldness running through her veins. "You would just be there and watch. You wouldn't be helping me."

"But, me being there would imply that my presence has influence on your fighting skills." Agvald sighed. Sif didn't know whether he was sighing because of her or himself. "You cannot afford that. You would seem ..."

"I would seem weak." she ended his sentence without thinking. His explanation of a lonesome life started to become clearer.

"You have to truly understand your choice." his words were warning, but they sounded almost like a threat. "Being a warrior means putting your duty above everything else. Above your friends, your family, your feelings. Should you pass the test, duty is all you'll have left. Duty, and men who share that same duty."

"Does that mean I must forget you, Mother, Father, Adelia?" Sif could feel her voice tremble. She didn't want to leave them all behind, as if they had never existed. She loved her family, despite misunderstanding they had. She couldn't sacrifice them just so she could fulfil her dreams, could she? "I don't want to do that."

"It is not about forgetting, Sif, it is about letting go." she could hear pain in his voice. She felt pricks of conscience for never having bothered to ask what he had had to give up to become what he was today. He didn't have a wife or children or any living relatives. He led, as he had said, a lonesome life, a lonely life. Was she truly ready, did she truly want to have a life like his?

"I do not ..." she fought for words to come out of her mouth. "I do not know if I can let go."

"You have to be prepared for the possibility that, in the future, a moment may come that you'll have to choose between your family and your duty. As a warrior, you'll have to choose your duty." Agvald's eyes were sad, but dry. He was a warrior, but warriors did not cry. He was her friend, worried for her well-being, but he could not make the decision for her. "My advice to you, should you accept this life, is: Don't get too attached, for anything or anyone. Leave as much of your old life as you can behind. A moment may come when you'll have to sacrifice all that is precious to you and if there is too much of it, the loss will break you."

"What if I don't sacrifice it?" Sif could feel tears form in her eyes at his honest, but still painful words. She took a deep breath, forcing the tears to remain where they were. She would not let them fall down her cheeks. Warriors did not cry. "What if I can both keep you and do my duty?"

"Duty has to come first, not be at the same level as something else." Agvald said. "Your mother, your father, your sister; they don't want to lose you, Sif. But, they know your dreams follow different path than what they would like. They love you too much to deny you the chance to be what you want to be. But, you have to be sure this _is_ what you want to be. Otherwise, even if you pass the test, it will not matter."

"Do you think I can pass it?" despite everything Agvald had just told her, Sif caught herself worrying about other things. She had to ask, because he had been speaking like he would never see her again and she felt his anxiety. "Do you think I can be a warrior?"

He offered her her sword again. His expression softened.

"Of course you can." he even managed to smile a little. "As stubborn and wilful as you are, you can be anything you want."

"But, what if I don't pass it?" she knew she had doubts and she feared her doubts would cost her the dream not even Agvald's warnings had managed to make her give up. "Will you continue to train me? Will you not be ... embarrassed?"

"I could never be embarrassed by you, Sif." he assured her. "You are the most dedicated child I have ever had honour to train. I will stop training you only if I you give up this dream, if our trainings stop bringing joy to you. I've never felt they have."

Sif couldn't hold it back anymore. She jumped towards him and hugged him as tight as she could. She would miss him dearly, his lessons, his teasing, his stories, his company.

"I will pass the test." she promised him. "I'll become the best warrior there is. You will be proud of me."

When she let go, he stood up straight and kissed her forehead.

"Remember everything I have taught you, listen carefully to anything others will teach you and never give up." he said.

She nodded. She would do exactly that and one day they would meet not as student and teacher, but as equals.

"Sif!" she heard her mother's voice. It sounded less displeased, but more hurt. "They are waiting for you!"

"Goodbye, Agvald." she took her sword from him. Her words sounded so ... so final.

"Goodbye, Sif." his grey eyes studied her for few more moments, but then he turned around and left her behind. She was both hurt and grateful at the same time. She didn't know whether she would be able to leave while looking him in the eyes.

She found Mother, Father and Adelia waiting for her in front of a carriage. She looked inside, noticing a man dressed in golden armour, like soldiers in the palace had been three days ago. His brown eyes looked her up and down, but gave nothing of his opinion on her away.

"You are not coming?" she turned to look at the members of her family, who shook their heads.

"If you pass the test, they will have us brought to the palace." Mother said calmly, but Sif could see her fists clenched, as if she would punch something in fight tears that had appeared in her brown eyes. "If not ... well, you will come back to us."

"Good luck, sweetheart." Father had always supported her in her intentions to become a warrior. Unlike Mother, he had come to terms with her wishes long ago. Maybe that was why he seemed to handle this possible goodbye most easily. "I know you will succeed."

"Thank you, Father." she hugged him. He caressed her hair once or twice, like he had done when she had been just a little girl.

Sif separated from him and then kissed Mother on the cheek. Elisa hugged her so tight that she thought she would never let her go. For the first time in a while, Sif felt that her mother truly loved her as much as she loved Adelia, just didn't know exactly how to show it. She didn't want to let go, even to risk having to let her go, but she valued Sif's happiness more than her own.

"I am not leaving Asgard, Mother." Sif tried to jest, making Elisa let her go. When she raised her head, both of them had tears in their eyes. "Maybe I won't even pass the test and I will come back."

"I wish I could believe that, Sif." Mother smiled, but it was the saddest smile Sif had ever seen. "But, I know you will pass it."

"How do you know that?" her eyes wandered between Mother and Father.

"Because we know you." Mother explained. "You do not give up, no matter how many times you are told there is something you cannot or are not allowed to do."

Now it was Sif's turn to smile and cry at the same time. Mother had tried to forbid her trainings at the beginning, but Sif had always found a way to defy that rule. If she hadn't defied half of the rules the society had made for ladies of Asgard, she wouldn't have got this opportunity. _I guess being a rebel sometimes pays off._

"I love you." she said, focusing all of her thoughts into that one sentence she hadn't been saying to them very often. If what Agvald had said was true, this was one of her last opportunities to say it before she had to let them go.

"We love you too, Sif." Father leaned his hand gently on Mother's shoulder, warning her not to jump at Sif and hug her again. The guard from the palace was still watching them and Sif didn't need to be seen crying like a child because the goodbye hurt. She had to remain calm and Father knew she was on the brink of falling apart. She smiled gratefully at him and he nodded in return.

Sif then turned towards Adelia, not knowing what to expect. Was her sister angry with her for getting an invitation to the palace while she remained forgotten or was she also sad because of Sif's possibly permanent departure? Sif realized it was the latter when Adelia did jump at her and hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"Beat them all, Sif." her sister whispered in her ear. "Show them you are the best."

Sif was so surprised by Adelia's support that she didn't know what to say for few moments. Luckily, Adelia interpreted her silence as a consequence of her hug, so she had time to think of an answer as she caught her breath when Adelia's hug loosened up a little.

"Thank you, Adie." this time, the nickname was well-meaning and Adelia smiled, feeling it. "I will say hi to Prince Thor for you. After I kick his butt, of course."

"Sif!" Adelia let her habit of scolding her sister get better of her.

"Alright, I'll be careful not to punch him in the face." Sif giggled quietly, careful not to be heard by the guard. "He will still be as pretty the next time you see him when you come to visit."

This time, Adelia giggled with her and then let her go completely.

Sif turned around and entered the carriage, not wanting to delay the departure anymore. It would just become more difficult than it already was. The guard closed the door behind her and gestured to her to sit opposite to him. She looked through the window as the carriage moved away from her family, who waved at her. She didn't wave back, but squeezed the hilt of her sword tightly. Agvald was right. She could not let anything distract her, not sadness, not excitement.

_I will make them proud._ she repeated her promise to Agvald to herself all the way to the palace. _I will. I promise._

**I'm sorry for the enormous lack of Loki in this chapter, but I plan to make up for it in the next one :) **

**This chapter was more about Sif and her ideas of a warrior's life. It seemed to me that all of Warriors Three and Sif handled their way of life and its restrictions in a different way. Sif always seemed so focused on her duties, not letting anything distract her, so I wanted to come up with a story how it had come to it. I could easily imagine Sif absorbing every word her teacher had said, because she had much more impediments to overcome in order to become a warrior. **

**It maybe seemed like Sif's family spoke of Sif's departure and her own feelings as if she had already passed the test ( as we all know she will ), but I imagined this as a big turning point for her when she had to come to terms with what she wanted in her life. She had to accept the path she had chosen, even if it turned out to be the wrong path, even if she turned out to be unsuccessful at it. She could no longer be a child and defy the rules, she had to follow them, because if she didn't, she would be ridiculed. She was the only one who opposed the idea of defying Odin in the first movie ( aside from Loki ;) ), which was kind of a proof to me that she had her own ideas about loyalties and rules. I know both her and Loki maybe seemed out of character during these two chapters, but this happens long before the events in Thor, so they will change a lot during that time.  
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**I know I sometimes get carried away with these author's notes, I hope it doesn't get on your nerves :)**

**I hope you liked the chapter :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again. Sorry about a bit longer delay, but you know, it _was_ Christmas. I had family to visit, presents to open, cakes to eat ... At least I didn't have to study. That awaits me in 2015. *do _not_ think about it***

**Once again, thank you for your feedback. You are all awesome and your praises really mean a lot. They make me write faster because I can't wait to share the new chapter with you :)**

**I hope you won't mind any grammar or spelling mistake too much. I do reread this couple of times, but I usually find a mistake only _after_ I publish the chapter :/ Believe me, it annoys me too.**

**But, on a happier note; as promised, Loki is back again, cuter than ever :)**

Sif could feel her palms sweating. Her breaths were shallow as her heartbeat echoed in her ears, every beat coming for a split of a second faster than the last one.

_I can do this._ she saw picture of her family, Agvald's face, their smiles full of confidence and pride. If only she could convince herself that easily. _I've been training with Agvald for years. I've never missed a practice. I have to be good enough._

_But, what if I am not?_ another voice spoke in her mind. _What if I fail? I won't be able to bear to look at a sword anymore. I want to succeed, I really do. I want to be a warrior. But, what if I'm just not good enough? What if I've been fooling myself that I can do this?_

"Welcome to the training yard, Lady Sif." guard who had brought her to the palace and whom she had been following through countless corridors stopped in front of a door and gestured to her to enter.

_Breathe in, breathe out._ she repeated to herself. In panic that had seized her, it was easy to forget the most natural of actions. _Don't show fear. You cannot afford to look weak. Let go of the fear. Let go. It is about letting go._

She pushed the door open.

Sunlight met her eyes, blinding her for few moments. Whiteness surrounded her, but she could still hear someone's laugh in the distance. She felt as if this was a joke at her expense; they had had her brought here so they could laugh at her and her ridiculous dreams. She wanted to run away and hide, but her feet felt like stone. She barely held her sword in her hand, fighting not to drop it.

Then suddenly her eyes got used to the light and everything around her became clear. She saw dozens of boys practicing with swords, bows, arrows, daggers and lots of other weapons she had never even heard of. They seemed to pay no attention to her and she felt she could breathe again. This was _real_. She was here and she would stay, no matter who and how many of these boys she would have to beat.

"Lady Sif, right?"

She turned around and found herself facing a familiar blonde-haired boy.

"Just Sif, Prince Thor." she bowed in manlike manner, not wanting to be seen any differently than any of the boys in that yard. She was their equal and she was determined to be treated accordingly.

"Of course." he offered her a charming smile. She did not fall for the act. "You can call me Thor. Everyone around here goes by their first name, no titles included."

"Well, then it seems you've broken your own rules by addressing me as Lady." Sif smirked. She would not allow him think she was a harmless toy. She meant serious business here. "I hope you weren't trying to fawn on me. I spare no-one."

His eyebrows rose; he was caught completely off guard by her words. What had he thought; that she was some witless lady who thought war to be a game?

He started to walk away, gesturing to her to follow him. The second it had taken for her to catch up with him was enough for him to think of an answer.

"I would never try to trick a lady into liking me." he smiled at her again as they walked next to each other. _As if you are not doing it right now._ "Ladies usually come to think me quite likable on their own."

"Usually, perhaps." Sif decided to play his game, despite not feeling quite comfortable with that choice. _Don't show fear. Let it go._ "But, you can hardly call this situation usual, don't you agree?"

"You seem to have quite a way with words, La ... Sif." Thor managed to stop himself before he called her Lady again. She was happy for it. He did think it possible that her being here wasn't just a joke on both of their parts. "I do hope it is matched by your skill with sword."

"You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" she grinned, enjoying that little advantage she had gained over him. "Do I get to choose my opponent or you have already made the choice for me?"

"Forgive me for having been so free to make the choice for you." Thor grinned, but not at her. His eyes were fixed on another boy, or better said, young man who was coming to meet them.

The man had reddish-blond hair and was little less than a head taller than Sif. His dark brown armour shone under the sunlight as did long sword in his right hand. He grinned impishly at Thor and then looked Sif up and down, estimating her.

"May I present you Fandral." Thor patted his friend's shoulder. "Fandral, meet Sif."

"I'd kiss Lady's hand, but it seems rather busy holding a sword." Fandral winked at Sif, who, no matter how many times she called herself stupid, couldn't help herself but to blush. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sif."

_For All-Father's sake, Sif, get a grip._ she wanted to slap herself for acting so ridiculously. Fandral was few years older and there was something devilishly flattering about the way he looked at her. Why was that making her act like a brainless idiot? _He is trying to distract me. I can't let him. I _won't_ let him._

"The pleasure is all mine." she managed to mutter through teeth, forcing herself to fake a smile. "Now that we've been properly introduced, when does my test begin?"

"So impatient." Fandral grinned at her and then looked at Thor. "I like the fire in her."

"She has to have more than just fire in her to pass the test." Thor said, suddenly all serious. "Begin."

Sif was annoyed by them talking about her as if she wasn't there, but she didn't care enough to object. She pulled her sword out of its sheath and stood facing Fandral. It was time to find out how good she really was.

He attacked first, so fast that she almost lost in the bloody first round. Luckily, she managed to raise her sword in time, blocking the hit that was going straight to her face. She held her sword tight, but Fandral was stronger. Her arms couldn't hold him far enough for long enough.

_Your opponents will most likely be bigger and stronger than you._ she heard Agvald's voice in her head, one of the first lessons he had taught her. _You cannot fight them the same way; they will eat you for breakfast. You need to fight with what they lack; speed, cunning and knowledge you are better than they think you to be._

She broke the contact between the swords and jumped backwards, taking Fandral by surprise. He flew forward, but restored his balance a moment after.

_Damn it._ Sif cursed. She had had a chance to beat him right there, but the memories of today's defeat against Agvald still haunted her. She was afraid she wasn't fast enough and she knew she would have been. Agvald knew the way she fought. Fandral didn't; he had been off guard long enough. But, she hadn't taken her chance. Who knew when or whether the next one was going to come.

"Not bad." Fandral admitted that much; despite his previous words, it was obvious he had expected the duel to be over in a second.

_Thank you._ but she didn't have time to say it out loud, for he was attacking her again. This time his sword went after her waist from her left; she blocked it, but then she found herself standing side by side with him as she tried to keep his sword intertwined with hers.

"You really a straightforward girl, aren't you?" she could _hear_ the smirk, even though she couldn't see it. Before she knew what was happening, she felt his fingers pinching her thigh.

She jumped away immediately, not even thinking of the fight anymore, just wanting to move as far away from him as possible. Unfortunately, he knew exactly how she was going to react. Before she could regain her balance, he was already knocking the sword out of her hand.

She felt her heart shatter as the sound of her sword falling on the ground echoed the yard. She barely held her tears back.

Fandral _cheated_. But it didn't matter. What was the lesson Agvald had tried to teach her this very day? _Don't let anything distract you._ And she had allowed herself to be distracted so easily.

"To be honest, I expected a bit more of a challenge." she heard Fandral's mocking voice as he put his sword back in its sheath.

She didn't dare to raise her head, for either would she jump at him and try to strangle him or she would really start to cry. Neither of the two was an acceptable option.

"It is over then." Thor's voice didn't sound as eager, but more disappointed.

Sif bit her lip, looking away from Fandral and Thor. But, then she saw that her sword hadn't fallen as far away from her as she had thought. She could reach it with no trouble.

_Thor said it was over._ she told herself. Shouldn't she know when it was enough and retreat with little pride she had left? _But, Fandral cheated. Two can play that game._

Before anyone could realize what she was doing, she put the tip of her boot under the hilt of her sword and kicked it upwards. She grabbed her sword with one hand and then grabbed Fandral's neck with the other. His green eyes were spread in surprise as she put the edge of her sword on his throat.

"It isn't over until I say it's over." she hissed with the most poisonous smile on her lips. "I do not recall saying it."

Only now did she realize that the whole yard had gone quiet the moment she had threatened the life of one of Thor's best friends. She could feel everyone's eyes on her, but she had eyes only for Fandral. The young man breathed heavily and there were few drops of sweat appearing on his forehead. Sif wanted to grin, but she didn't let smugness disturb her focus. Let him believe she would harm him. It would make him respect her and never try to pull those unfair kinds of tricks on her again.

"I now say the duel is over." she said to him, putting the mask of pure coldness on her face. "What say you?"

He swallowed, but she didn't relax for the slightest. He had to say the words. And not even then would she let him go. Not before she could enjoy the sweet taste of victory.

"It is over." he mumbled quietly, only for her to hear.

"Louder!" she commanded.

"You have won." he announced.

Thor surely heard that and so did few of the closest boys. She glared at Fandral for few more long moments before she removed the sword from his throat. Her hand lingered on his neck a little longer, but then she let him go completely.

"How was that?" her gaze shifted onto Thor, who looked angry.

"You cheated." he said accusingly. "That kind of victory does not count."

"Your friend cheated first." Sif tried her best to remain calm. It had taken long for her to accept Agvald's idea of what counted as _not-cheating_.Fandral's act did not fit into that category. "If he has any honour, he will admit it."

Thor's eyes fixed on his friend, who shrugged his shoulders and grinned impishly, as if he found Sif's accusations unable to touch him.

"I just couldn't resist it. I admit; I pinched her."

Thor frowned in dissatisfaction. It seemed he really had wanted this fight to be honourable and fair test of Sif's abilities. His friend had let him down. Sif wondered whether Thor would give her another chance and choose another opponent for her or he would send her home.

"You are right, Sif." the Prince looked at her thoughtfully. "You deserve another chance to prove yourself."

Sif let out a breath she didn't even realize she had been holding. She nodded gratefully in his direction, waiting for her next opponent to be called forward.

"It seems I can't count even on my closest friends to respect our deals." Thor glared at Fandral only for a moment before his eyes went back to Sif. "So, I will fight you myself."

Sif's breath got stuck in her throat. She would fight the Prince himself! But, how could she beat Thor? He was All-Father's son, a god himself! How could she even _hope_ to beat him?

Thor glanced at Fandral demandingly and stretched his hand out. After a moment of silence, Fandral gave him his sword. Thor made few swift moves with it, 'stabbing' the air before facing Sif. Her sword was already at ready, she would not let herself be caught off guard twice.

Like his friend, Thor hurried to attack her at once. His moves were even faster and swifter than Fandral's and Sif felt her feet draw back against her will. She ducked, avoiding the hit that had been aiming at her head and swung her sword at Thor's legs. He was forced to jump backwards, so she was able to catch her breath before she was forced to defend herself again.

Their swords met time after time, but Sif was the one to break contact almost every time. Thor was much stronger than her and if she tried to fight back for longer than a second, she would lose. She was grateful to Agvald for his lessons about knowing when going forward would cost her, but she knew she couldn't continue this way for much longer. Her arms and legs hurt more with each clash she didn't win. While her breathing became heavier and heavier, her heartbeat faster and faster, Thor didn't seem tired at all. His forehead was sweaty, but his moves lost none of their speed and swiftness. He would soon corner her and she couldn't think of a way to prevent it.

_For-, back, back._ even the battle melody inside her head was incomplete. There just wasn't enough time to _think_ the words. _Le-, back, le-, back, back._

Thor's hit aimed at her shoulder. She raised her sword, but this time she was too slow. The weapons clashed and she felt her sword being knocked out of grip of her numb fingers. She took a deep breath right before she found herself staring at her own reflection on the surface of the edge of Thor's sword.

"Is it over, Sif?" he asked her. He had learned from Fandral's mistake, she would give him that.

_I've lost._ the thought hit her harder than any of Thor's attacks. _I'll be sent home and I'll never be a warrior. I shouldn't have come._

"Is it over, Sif?" he repeated demandingly, making her raise her head. She didn't even realize she hadn't given him an answer yet.

"Yes." she mumbled, looking directly in his blue eyes. She would face him with as much pride as she could muster. That was a promise. "You have won."

"I agree." he stared right back at her, as if trying to convince himself she wasn't lying. His sword remained on her throat for few more moments, but then was removed. She could breathe deeply again.

She watched as he moved away from her, pretending he didn't even notice the silence that had come down to the yard. She could feel the tension in the air, expectation of Thor's evaluation of her abilities. Nobody's eyes met his or hers, yet she could sense everybody's gazes on them.

She could not bear it anymore. If he decided to chase her away, he didn't have to delay it this long.

"So, am I staying or not, Thor?" she called after him, letting him know she had taken his words seriously. Everybody was the same in this yard, girls or boys, princes or beggars.

He turned around at once, as if her question had snapped him out of his thoughts. He studied her thoughtfully for few long moments, making her desire to punch something. Suspense was something she didn't handle well.

"I think there is much potential in you, Sif." he said at last.

_But, it's not enough for you to handle this._ her mind imitated the continuation of the speech in his voice so accurately that she could swear he had actually said it. _Go home and play with dolls or whatever you girls do._

"And I think everyone here would be honoured if you joined us."

_What?_ he hadn't just said that. That was her mind, tricking her again. Hadn't he said she should go home?

"Ahm ..." it was the only thing she could say.

"So, will you join us?" Thor raised eyebrows in confusion.

She wasn't imagining it. She could stay. She would be a warrior someday.

"Yes." she breathed. "I will."

"Excellent." Thor grinned, relieved that she hadn't lost her mind. "Welcome among us, Sif."

Warmness spread from her chest to the last lock of her hair, tops of nails on her feet and fingers. Excitement streamed through her blood, making her feel dizzy. She could hug him and kiss him and she wouldn't even be ashamed. He had just said the most beautiful words she had ever heard. Nobody, not even her reason and feministic conviction women could do everything men could, could deny that the Prince deserved that kiss.

"Thank you." she gave him the widest smile her lips had ever shaped. Unlike a kiss, she wouldn't regret that later.

"Congratulations." Fandral approached her, his arm outstretched towards her. She eyed it suspiciously, making him grin again. "I have no dishonourable intentions this time, I promise. Just congratulations and welcoming."

"I will hold you to your word." she accepted his hand and shook it. "Break it and it won't end well for you."

"I don't break promises made to a lady." Fandral brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before winking at her again. Even though she had beaten him, so to say, she still felt blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Fandral, stop flirting with the girl." an unfamiliar voice interrupted them, to Sif's great relief. It belonged to a tall reddish-brown haired boy. "Be a gentleman and introduce us."

"Sif, may I present you Volstagg ..." Fandral pointed at the tall boy. "... and Hogun." he pointed at a black-haired, black-eyed boy who watched her suspiciously, as if she was some strange animal whom he had expected to attack him at any moment.

"Your comeback against this one was quite impressive." Volstagg hit Fandral over head, but in a friendly way. "You wouldn't believe how long we've been waiting for a lady who would kick his butt properly instead of falling for his sweet words."

"It was my pleasure." Sif grinned, enjoying making Fandral uncomfortable. The revenge was sweet. "Whenever he becomes too conceited, you know where to find me."

Volstagg burst out laughing.

"I like you." he said when he caught his breath. "This might be the best decision Thor had and would ever make."

"What?" Sif wondered curiously.

"Bringing you here." Volstagg waved in indefinite direction in the yard. "We made fun of him for bringing a girl to our practice, but he still insisted on you coming here. Still, I didn't believe he would go through with it until you arrived today. I must say, you definitely proved us all wrong."

_Really?_ Sif was flattered by his praises, but even more by Thor's decision to give her a chance. Had he heard about her and decided to see the truth for himself, ignoring his friends' mockery? She barely knew him, yet she owed him so much already.

"And you're the reason why my friends will never doubt me again." Thor suddenly appeared next to them, his eyes fixed on Sif. "You must be tired. Come. I will show you your room."

Sif wanted to protest and say she didn't feel _that_ tired, but now that the adrenaline had stopped streaming through her body, she could feel it being replaced by fatigue. Nervousness and excitement had been keeping her going through the fights, but they had worn themselves out and her muscles were begging for rest. There would be another training tomorrow.

She nodded at Thor, who turned around and started walking away. She then nodded at Hogun, Volstagg and even at Fandral before rushing to catch up with the Prince.

_I must be dreaming._ she thought as they walked next to each other in silence. _If I am, I don't want to wake up. Please, don't make me wake up. This is perfect._

* * *

><p>"Brother!" Thor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you. Shouldn't you be practicing with Mother?"<p>

_Shouldn't you keep that to yourself?_ Loki thought, feeling warmness filling his cheeks. It almost seemed as if Thor was trying to embarrass him on purpose. Why else would he mention in front of Sif that Loki should be right now training with their _mother_?

"I was bored." that wasn't true, of course, but he didn't want Sif to think of him as mummy's little boy. Luckily, Mother wasn't there to hear his words. She would have been disappointed and hurt if they had reached her ears. And they weren't even true. Loki loved his lessons in magic. "So, I decided to shirk a bit."

"You, shirking?" Thor laughed in amusement. "And I thought this day would never come."

Loki decided to ignore the mockery at expense of his pride of his hard work and punctuality, the two things Thor sometimes seemed completely unfamiliar with.

"Congratulations, Lady Sif." he gathered enough courage to look her in the eyes. "I am happy to see that your wish has come true."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"How do you know it has?" she asked. "Does news always travel so fast around here?"

Loki found himself at loss of words again. Really, he had to learn how to lie. How did words come so easily to Fandral, even though most of it was just empty flattering?

"Your eyes wouldn't shine as brightly if it hadn't." he had no idea where that came from, but it was too late to take it back.

Sif avoided his gaze, making him curse himself for his boldness. He couldn't just say stuff like that to her. She would think him no better than Fandral and he had seen that she didn't have very high opinion of the man's womanizing ways. He had to make this right; he had to let her know she was the first and only woman who held his affections.

_At least I didn't say I had been watching her since the moment she had entered the palace._ he thought, trying to encourage himself, but without much success. _Womanizer sounds like a better reputation than creepy stalker._

"I apologize." nothing better crossed his mind. "I should have not spoken in such a manner."

"Don't worry, brother." Thor's voice completely startled Loki; in his fascination with Sif, he had completely forgotten about his brother. "Sif is more than capable of handling any dishonourable act. Just ask Fandral."

"I would never ..."

"I know you wouldn't." Sif interrupted him.

They stared at each other in silence. Loki felt that they both wanted to look away from each other, but just couldn't, as if hypnotized. He knew he could stare at her like this forever, for she was so beautiful, even when covered in sweat and dirt, in her armour as much as in a dress.

"Brother, why don't you accompany Sif to the guest chambers?" Thor's voice interrupted the moment, making them look at him. "I have some other business to attend to and you can surely shirk for a little while longer."

Thor grinned impishly at him and Loki swallowed hardly. There was quite a long way to the guest chambers. His brother wanted to leave him alone with Sif. Loki didn't know whether the thought thrilled or frightened him.

"If Lady Sif agrees." he mumbled, letting her to make the choice. If he made it, it would be the wrong one, for sure.

She let silence linger between them for a moment, but then nodded.

"I agree." she said in what appeared to be neutral tone. "I'll see you tomorrow at practice, Tho ... Prince Thor."

"You are one of us now, Sif." Thor waved his hand nonchalantly. "You can call me Thor whenever we are not around my parents. Everyone does."

_So, they are already on first name terms?_ Loki sensed it would be much harder to get Sif to address him only by his first name. _People are so relaxed around Thor. Why can't they be the same way around me?_

"Alright, Thor." Sif offered Thor a small smile, making Loki feel a prick of jealousy. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait." Thor grinned, first at her, then at Loki. "I entrust you with my new friend, brother. Make sure no harm befalls her."

"She is safe with me." Loki said, but the truth was probably that _he_ was safe with _her_. She could defend herself; she had proved it not five minutes ago. All Loki knew was few magic tricks and how to make a complete fool out of himself in front of the lady he fancied.

"See you later." Thor greeted them and then was gone in a second.

Loki and Sif were left standing in the corridor, looking at anything else but at each other.

"Please, follow me, Lady Sif." he started to walk and her fast determined steps followed him soon after. _You don't ask of Thor to call you 'Lady Sif'. Would you let me call you just Sif?_

She didn't reply; the only sound was their steps, sometimes in harmony, sometimes fighting for superiority. He could sense her body nearby, but they did not touch, not even by accident. He wanted to say something, about the history of the palace or anything else, but no word left his mouth. He could just think about how much he wanted to touch her, to pull his fingers though her hair, to look her in the eyes and to see that she was as enchanted by him as he was by her, to ...

"Was it your doing, Prince Loki?"

He looked at her. She didn't look enchanted, only curious.

"Was it what my doing?" he gave himself a chance to compose himself.

"Did you tell your brother about my ... abilities?" she explained. "You are the only one I have talked to about it."

Loki didn't know what to make of her question. Was she angry with him for having spoken to Thor about her? But, shouldn't she be grateful to him? Wasn't this her dream, dream he had helped to come true?

"Yes, I did." he nodded, knowing there was no use in denying it.

"Why?" she stopped walking, making him stop just a moment after.

He turned around to look at her. Her eyes were curious, but not angry. She just wanted to know why he had done it when, in her opinion, he had owed her nothing. She didn't realize that he cared for her, that there had been even a small amount of selfishness behind his actions. He wanted her to stay with him, to be near her. Hadn't he made himself and his feelings obvious enough, even unintentionally?

"Loki!"

He froze at the sound of that voice. Was there any worse time for this?

"Mother." he lowered his head, unable to look at either of the present ladies.

"Did you honestly think I couldn't tell the difference between my son and his magically created doppelganger?" Frigga sounded rather disappointed with him, which was a reliable way to cause pricks of his conscience. "Why aren't you in my studies? Your practice isn't nearly over. Magic can't be mastered by shirking."

"I ..." he had no idea what to say, not only because she was completely right, but also because he was blushing with embarrassment. What did Sif think? He must have seemed like a monstrous little brat with strange powers who was about to get grounded because he had disobeyed his mother's orders.

"You can do magic?"

Unwillingly, but uncontrollably, his eyes met Sif's. What he saw gave him a glimpse of hope. She seemed interested rather that disgusted or frightened.

"Yes." he nodded, not allowing himself to say something as desperately hopeful as 'Do you want to see?'

"What kind of magic?" she wondered. It seemed Frigga's presence didn't bother Sif at all. Curiosity had obviously got best of her. "Can you show me?"

Loki's first instinct was to look at Mother, asking for her permission. But, Sif's presence made him feel braver. He could do this _without_ Mother's permission. He could prove to both of them how good he was becoming.

He closed his eyes and focused, feeling power gathering in form of a small ball, like a second heart, in the middle of his chest. He waited for a second for it to be completely in his control before he let it spread through his body. When the wave of magic reached every last cell of his body, he broke the bonds that tied him to it and let it go. Separating from magic was like cutting off one's nails or hair; it was part of one's body, but separating from it didn't hurt him. He did feel a bit colder, as if he had suddenly stepped into coolly breeze, but nothing that he couldn't handle.

"Wow!" he heard Sif's impressed voice. He opened his eyes and found the exact replica of himself bowing to Sif gallantly.

Her eyes wandered between the two of them, her mouth open in wonder.

"I could never tell the difference." she mumbled in awe. "It is ... It is amazing."

Loki felt his lips shape a smile and so did his doppelganger's.

"Thank you." he said, happy that she thought so well of his powers. Maybe he could show her another thing or two. "Watch this."

He snapped his fingers; Sif's armour was gone and in its place was the same golden dress she had worn the night they had first met. She studied the dress, touching it and wondering at it.

"I'm still wearing my armour." she said in confusion. "At least it is what I feel like."

"You are." he confirmed, proud that he could explain it to her. Maybe he wasn't as good of a fighter as Thor, but he wasn't useless. "It is just an illusion. Just like this."

He pictured his doppelganger taking Sif's hand into his own and the illusion obediently reflected the picture. It reached for her hand, but it could not touch it, nor could she feel its touch.

"I ... I don't feel anything." she said, watching the hand that she could see still lingering on hers.

Loki let his doppelganger dissolve into the air. He couldn't exactly explain it, but he could feel an unpleasant feeling taking root in his chest. Was he jealous of his own magical shadow for reaching for Sif's hand, touching it, something he himself only dreamed of doing?

"Your powers are truly amazing." Sif smiled, _really_ smiled at him. He felt light as a feather, as if he could fly over all of the Nine Realms right now. "Maybe you could show me more someday?"

"I'd like that." he returned the smile. Mother would be furious at him for abandoning his lessons, but this was the best day of his life.

"Enough of showing off." Mother spoke so suddenly that Loki flinched. He truly ought to pay more attention to his surroundings. He just couldn't help it that Sif became the centre of his world whenever he laid eyes on her. "Be a gentleman, Loki, and introduce us."

Loki cleared his throat.

"Sif, this is my mother, Lady Frigga." he watched as Sif curtsied in Frigga's direction. "Mother, this is Lady Sif. She is going to practice sword-fighting with Thor and his friends from now on."

"It is my pleasure, Lady Frigga." Sif hurried to say, avoiding Frigga's gaze, as if embarrassed for having ignored the Queen of Asgard for so long.

Frigga looked Sif up and down, estimating her. Those few moments were the longest in Loki's life, for he knew Mother had surely noticed his affections for Sif. She was already used to Thor charming every girl in his way, but it made her more overprotective of Loki. Until now, she had been the only woman in his life and he didn't know how she would feel about having to share the title.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sif." Frigga nodded, smiling fondly at Sif. "I hope you find your staying in our home pleasant."

Loki's heart skipped a beat. Frigga liked Sif. All was well.

"Loki." Frigga addressed him. "I will forgive your escaping your duties today. Do as you have promised and accompany Sif to her new chambers. Then come back to my studies."

"Yes, Mother." Loki nodded, but with a wide smile on his face. He could stay alone with Sif for a little while longer and it seemed talking to her, or at least being around her, would become much easier now that he knew she wouldn't resent him for his powers.

As soon as Frigga left them alone again, they continued their walk towards her new chambers. Loki found the silence much more comfortable than before. He stole a couple of glances in Sif's direction and noticed she watched him curiously too. She looked away whenever their eyes met, but he liked the way corners of her lips curled up shyly whenever he caught her looking at him.

"Here we are." he pointed at the door of one of the many guest rooms in the corridor. "I hope you enjoy your stay, Lady Sif."

"Do other boys sleep here as well?" she asked with a little bit of discomfort in her voice.

"Yes, but you can lock your door if it will make you feel safe." Loki mumbled through his teeth. He shouldn't leave her there, so close to Fandral or any other boy who could harm her.

She sensed his uneasiness.

"Don't worry." she smiled reassuringly. "I will be fine. I can handle a bunch of immature boys."

He nodded, but he did not stop worrying. She reached for the doorknob, but before he could take his leave and calm his pounding heart, she called for him again.

"Prince Loki."

His name on her lips sounded like a song. He smiled.

"Just Loki, remember?"

She looked confused for a moment, but then a smile appeared on her face as well.

"Loki." she said to confirm she remembered it.

His smile widened approvingly.

"Thank you. For everything." she said.

"Don't mention it." he waved his hand nonchalantly, denying any need for so much gratitude. She had earned this on her own. "I am glad you are happy."

"Yes, I am." she nodded.

He made as if to leave, but then remembered one more thing.

"May I call you Sif?"

She turned around to look at him again.

"It is my name."

"That is not really an answer." he objected teasingly. He began to understand the rules of wordplays. But, then he became serious again. "My brother and my mother call you just your name, but I felt I had to ask you to grant _me_ your permission."

She looked at him thoughtfully, as if thinking he was really teasing her. He patiently waited for her answer, hoping with all of his heart it would be positive.

"I ..." she started, but then shook her head. "It is ridiculous. Of course you may."

"No, please." he wanted to know what was on her mind. "Tell me. If you think I was disrespectful to you ..."

"No, no." she interrupted him hurriedly, as if his words couldn't be father from the truth. "It is just ... You are the first one who has ever called me Lady Sif, the only one who has ever _thought_ of me as of a lady."

"And you didn't like that?" he wondered.

"Quite the contrary." she smiled shyly, her eyes avoiding his. "Would it make you angry if I said I liked it?"

He stood in silence for few moments, processing her words. She liked when he called her Lady Sif. She liked when the words came from him. In some way, even the most simplest one, he was special for her. How could he deny her her wish?

"I will see you around, Lady Sif." before he could think it over too much, he reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Her dark, almost black eyes shone like a starry night.

"I look forward to it, Loki."

He let go of her hand. She gave him another smile before entering her room and closing the door.

_She said she looked forward to seeing me._ he still couldn't quite believe it had all happened. It felt like a dream, the most beautiful dream he had ever had. _Please, don't make me wake up. If this really is a dream, let me sleep forever._

**I have never been the one to yell 'awww' in every situation, so when I think something's cute, you can bet it really is cute. I've been giggling like a true fangirl through all of Sif's and Loki's conversation. I just couldn't help myself. They went through every teenage feeling ( since at this point they are some godlike equivalent of teenagers ) in this chapter. **

**Sif has trouble with believing and accepting somebody could actually like her best, so it confuses her and she's all stiff. Not to mention she's not used to be flirted with, especially by older boys, so every situation of the sorts makes her uncomfortable. Poor Sif :/  
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**And Loki, he's just fallen in love for the first time in his life ( *awww* ;) ). He got to feel every type of fear in front of the girl he fancies ( will I embarrass myself; will my family say something that will embarrass me; I like her, but I don't know how to tell her; what does she think of me; is she in love with my brother; etc. ) He was just _so_ adorable ( I'm totally patronizing him right now, aren't I? ). We've also got to see the origins of Loki's nickname 'Silver tongue'. His first wordplays - flirting with Sif :)**

**They are totally into each other ( I firmly claim there are hints of it in the movies as well ) and I just love them together. **

**I hope you liked the chapter :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here we are again in 2015 ( yes, I've forced myself to study. Don't ask. ). I wish you all lots of love, happiness, health, whatever you wish for yourselves :D  
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**It's said that we become wiser and smarter as years go by ( that obviously doesn't apply to me, I feel like I get more and more childish with each day ;P ), so on the first day of new year, it crossed my mind to look for some Loki/Sif videos on Youtube. You know, to find some more inspiration and so on. You can imagine my delight when I discovered existence of a Loki/Sif video with the song 'Cold' in it :D ( just a warning, there is Game of Thrones type of stuff in it, if you know what I mean, so if that bothers you, be careful with it ). Anyway, cheers to the maker of it. There are many more lovely videos and after watching whole bunch of them, I can declare Loki/Sif to be the third ship in my life ( don't worry, I'm not all that serious about ships, I'll survive if they don't get together ;P ).**

**So, to answer Loki ( the reviewer :) ) : Your review was pure awesomeness :) But, the warmer it is now, the colder it will get later. You'll miss these happy moments, I promise you *evil laugh*. It will get colder than in Siberia ( I've never been there, but it _is_ the coldest area on the planet ). Mark my words :)**

**As always, thank your for your support and your reviews. You all make me very happy :D**

**And I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistake. I hope they don't annoy you too much :)**

**I hope you like the chapter :)**

"Sif is so lucky to be allowed to live here." Adelia sighed, watching her surroundings as if this was the last time she would ever see these corridors. "It is truly beautiful."

"Yes, it is." Elisa answered, but she paid little attention to the corridors and their ornaments. Her mind was on what waited in the end of their path; her other daughter's new room, her new _home_.

_How will I get used to it?_ she wondered. She knew one day her daughters would leave their home, but she had never anticipated it would be so soon and that it would be Sif who would leave first. Adelia was a year older and far more sociable than Sif. Anyone with a bit of common sense expected that Adelia would move out first, as a wife of some respectable young man. _Not seeing Sif every afternoon in the yard, with Agvald and their sword-fighting. I've been against it for such a long time, yet I can't bear the thought of it being gone._

"Mother?" Adelia's hand suddenly brushed against hers, as if her eldest daughter didn't want to startle her. "Are you alright?"

Elisa smiled; it would be wrong to neglect Adelia just because she was sad about Sif. She had to put her worries aside, at least until she was alone.

"Yes." she took Adelia's hand into her own. "Do not worry about me. I am just going through what every mother must; the day one of her children leaves. I admit I did not expect it to arrive so soon. I am probably caught a little off guard, that's all."

"I will miss Sif too." Adelia squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We do not have much in common, but she is my sister and I will always love her. At least she is not far from us. And we can visit her whenever we want."

"I know." Elisa nodded. "But, it saddens me no less. You will be a mother someday, Adelia. You will understand."

Adelia fell silent. They continued to follow one of the palace guards in silence. He had come for them and delivered the news of Sif's success, but spoken no other word. Elisa couldn't tell whether he had been listening to their conversation, but even if he had, he didn't give away any sign of it. Even though he was carrying a bag full of Sif's things, he didn't seem tired at all. His steps were slow enough for them to keep up, but so quiet that they had to be careful not to lose him from their sight.

"Mother, do you think Sif will be allowed to have children someday?" Adelia's whisper interrupted the silence. She did sound troubled by the question.

Elisa knew she didn't want to say her honest opinion out loud. Ever since her daughters had grown old enough to dream of husbands and their own future families, she had wondered what her grandchildren would be like and what kinds of mothers would Adelia and Sif make. Sif's choice of life made those dreams, at least in her case, almost impossible. Elisa had noticed lack of family around the only warrior she knew; she didn't want Agvald's life for Sif.

"I do not know." she said at last. "Warriors rarely have families. But, then, there are very few female warriors. Maybe she will. But, she also has to choose it."

"I don't think Sif wants that." Adelia said with sad certainty in her voice. "At least she has never spoken of it."

"People change." to make it all more ironic, Elisa remembered how much she had resented the idea of marrying just for the sake of marriage when she had been Sif's age. She was an only child and her parents had been determined to secure her future should any harm befall them ( having grown up and come to understand their fear of Jotunheim's Frost Giants, she had long but forgiven them for their insisting on her marriage to Sif's and Adelia's father ). But, her opinions on many things had changed since then. It was very likely that Sif would change too.

"Here we are." the guard spoke suddenly, stopping in front of one of many doors in the row. He knocked two times.

After barely a second, the door opened, revealing Sif's features filled with excitement.

"Adelia!" she rushed past the guard to hug her sister. Even though the two sisters were still hugging, Sif's dark eyes found Elisa's. "Mother!"

"Sweetie." she knew Sif didn't like to be called that, but her emotions overwhelmed her. She hugged Sif as tightly as she could, not even flinching when cold metal of Sif's armour came into contact with her skin. She did not want to let go.

But, she knew she had to.

"Come!" Sif gestured to them to follow her to her room.

The guard entered the room first, leaving the bag full of Sif's belongings on the floor next to the door. It contained mostly Sif's clothes which she would need during her stay in the palace. Elisa had optimistically decided to bring one dress, but she knew better than to hope Sif would actually wear it. When he was done with his duties, the guard walked out of the room, nodded and let them enter.

There was no surprise in seeing windows of Sif's new room wide open, letting the sun and breeze in. It was how Sif preferred it; light, but cold. It made one liven up; coldness was there to wake up the body, light to wake up the mind. The furniture in the room was simple, but lovely. There was a single bed covered in greyish-blue sheets. It was already unmade; Elisa could exactly imagine Sif throwing herself at it the moment she had entered the room; it was a kind of tradition for her daughter. There was one large wardrobe and one nightstand, both made of wood. Sif's sword was leaned on the wardrobe, hilt down, as if Sif hadn't found the right place to put it yet. There was another door on the other side of the room, most likely a way to a bathroom.

Elisa liked it. It wasn't their home, but it had potential to become a good one.

"Have you said hi to Prince Thor for me?" Adelia asked Sif as she and Elisa sat on Sif's bed.

Sif closed the door.

"I'm sorry, Adie, I completely forgot about that." she shrugged her shoulders, but then grinned fondly, joining them. "I hope you will have some compassion and understanding, for he totally kicked my butt. You can't blame me for having been a little forgetful after that."

"He did?" Adelia raised her eyebrows in wonder. "But, why did he allow you to train with them then? I thought you had had to beat him to be allowed to join them."

"It turned out I hadn't had to." Sif shrugged her shoulders. "I don't quite understand it either, but I will not complain. I think I got the chance because I'd beaten one of Thor's friends. More or less."

"What do you mean 'more or less'?" Elisa asked worriedly. She was suddenly afraid that particular friend of Thor's might come after her daughter looking for revenge for some trick Sif had pulled on him. Children could be extremely competitive – Sif was the living proof of it – she was afraid to which lengths their competitiveness could lead them.

"Well, I fought him first." Sif started to explain nonchalantly. "I was doing well, but then he pinched me. I got distracted and he knocked the sword out of my hand."

"But, that means you have lost." Adelia looked uncertainly at her sister. "Doesn't it?"

"He thought the fight was over, but he had never trained with Agvald." Sif smirked smugly. "I got my sword back, put it on his throat and didn't remove it until he admitted I'd won."

"Did you have to be that violent, Sif?" Elisa sighed. Sif usually kept her temper under control, but she didn't handle breaking the rules well. She was aware that the boy had wronged her daughter, but she would have preferred some other boy defending Sif's honour rather than Sif's taking care of it on her own.

"He cheated." Sif said matter-of-factly. "And I didn't actually hurt him. I just taught him a lesson about not wanting to mess up with me."

"And Thor?" it was to be expected that the eldest prince still picked the most of Adelia's interest. "How had it come to him kicking your butt?"

"He said I deserved another chance to prove myself." Sif explained. "So, he faced me himself. He is so fast. I guess it is expected of a god. But still. I barely kept up with him for two minutes before he made me admit he had won."

She seemed dissatisfied about losing the fight, but Elisa could tell Sif's excitement about being allowed to stay overshadowed by far her disappointment about that one lost fight. Smile didn't leave her face and Elisa had to admit she had never seen her daughter look more beautiful.

"What did he say to you after that?" questioning Sif was Adelia's task which she gladly obliged. Curiosity was among rare treats Elisa's daughters shared.

"Not much. I was brought here then." Sif said in imitation of a neutral tone, but blood sneaked up her face, making obvious she was keeping something secret.

"Have you been treated kindly?" Elisa interfered. She did not want to make assumptions, but she would not allow anyone treat her daughter badly, not even in the palace.

"Yes, yes." Sif hurried to calm her down, sensing her uneasiness. It was obvious her daughter was afraid she would be forced to come home if anything wasn't to Elisa's liking. _That is not far from the truth._ "Everyone has been really kind to me."

"Who is everyone?"

"Prince Thor and his friends. I have also spoken to Prince Loki." Sif blushed even more. "He has introduced me to his mother. And Lady Frigga has been really kind to me too."

"So, I need not worry?" Elisa felt her expression soften, but was careful not to smile. She hadn't missed the moment Sif's mask of neutrality had fallen off, but decided to keep her hopes to herself.

"Of course not." Sif was so obviously relieved that Elisa gave up and smiled. Luckily, her daughter didn't notice it. "I will be perfectly fine, Mother."

"I know you will." Elisa nodded. "You know you can come to visit anytime you like. And we will come to visit whenever you wish."

"Yes." Adelia nodded enthusiastically. "Now that you have her acquaintance, you can introduce me to Lady Frigga. I'd like to meet Prince Thor's mother."

"She has two sons, you know." it was an unusual situation in which Sif was scolding Adelia for inappropriate behaviour.

Adelia raised her eyebrows, but then grinned in amusement.

"You seem very protective of Prince Loki, Sif."

"I am _not_ overprotective of him." Sif's rushed defensiveness gave her nervousness away. "I'm just saying."

"And blushing. And you can't look me in the eyes." Adelia teased. "Do you fancy ..."

"No!" Sif said before Adelia could even finish the question. "I am here to become a warrior. Not to fall in love with a prince. That is your life mission, Adelia."

"That doesn't mean you can't like him." Adelia ignored Sif's open detest of such idea. "Admit it, Sif, you are in love!"

"I am not!" Sif yelled. She didn't understand that the more she denied it, the more fun Adelia would find in teasing her about it.

_Sif darling, there is nothing wrong with fancying a boy._ Elisa thought, watching her daughters argue about Sif's supposed fondness of Prince Loki. How many times had she seen the same situation with reverse parts? Sif had always been cold toward boys and loved to tease her sister whenever Adelia mentioned this or that boy was cute. It almost seemed as if Adelia had just waited for this day to come so she could have her revenge. Her daughters had more in common than they realized. Elisa's prayers for their well-being was just one of many. _I just want both of you to be happy. With princes or without them._

* * *

><p>"You seem very happy, my love." Odin said as they lay next to each other in their bed. "Tell me what I have done so I can repeat it tomorrow."<p>

Frigga smiled at her husband. This fake eagerness of his, it could make her smile with no trouble.

"I am sorry to disappoint you, but _you_ have done nothing." she kissed his cheek gently to make up for his ruined expectations. "Today I am happy for Loki."

Odin's expression instantly hardened. Even after all these years and after witnessing all good characteristics Loki possessed, he still couldn't let go of the past and Loki's origins. Unlike Frigga, he had never treated Thor and Loki the same way. The difference wasn't visible to strangers, but Frigga saw it clearly as day.

"Has he mastered another one of spells you have been teaching him?" she couldn't deny that Odin tried to be a good father to Loki, but there was no enthusiasm in his voice that would surely have been there had it been Thor who had succeeded in something.

"He is doing fine, but that is not it." Frigga caressed Odin's palm, hoping love they shared with each other would soften him up. "I think he fancies someone."

Odin laughed, more relaxed.

"That surprises you so?" he looked at her in wonder. "Thor has been charming girls and ladies for years. It was time Loki found one for himself."

Frigga slapped the hand she had been caressing. Her husband still thought himself such a charmer. He was proud of Thor for being so admirable among ladies, as if he saw his younger self in his son.

"I believe he honestly likes her." she said in a warning tone. Nobody could mock her sons, not even their father.

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Sif." Frigga tried to remember everything she knew about the girl. "Loki told me she was going to train with Thor and his friends."

"Yes, Thor mentioned something to me." Odin nodded knowingly. "Is she a good fighter?"

She had seen that question coming.

"Would Thor ask her to join them if she wasn't?" she teased. Thor was carefree and almost never worried about anything, but he did take fighting and warfare very seriously. He understood that one day all those boys would be his comrades, his warriors, and he knew he would not trust his life with anyone incapable of protecting it.

"I guess not." Odin said. "How come Loki fancies her so much?"

"I guess she is different than the rest." _Like he feels he is._ "I have met her and she seems rather nice."

"I hope she has _nice_ skills with a sword, otherwise she won't stay here for long." Odin yawned, obviously not really interested in the matter anymore. "Let's sleep, love. Our sons are old enough to deal with their love troubles on their own. Do not worry about it."

_How can I not?_ Frigga wondered, but said nothing. She had always cared a little bit more for Loki than for Thor, because she had always tried her best to make him feel loved and accepted. Thor wasn't jealous, in fact, he was more than helpful. The brotherly bond her sons shared was one of the strongest Frigga had ever seen. Even despite their differences, they were always there for each other.

"I am their mother. It is my duty to worry." she came closer to Odin, looking for comfort and easing of her worries in his touch. "I am only afraid of her falling in love with Thor. If Loki truly likes her as much as I think he does, it would break his heart."

"You worry too much." Odin's body shook of barely contained laughter beneath her head. "Even if she chooses Thor over Loki, he is young. There will be other girls."

_But, you didn't see the way he looked at her._ she thought. _The way his eyes shone when she smiled at him, when she asked him about his magic. I have never seen him happier. And I so wish that I could see him that happy every time I look at him._

"You are still worrying." Odin warned her playfully after few moments had passed without her answer.

"Someone has to." she said in equally playful tone. "If I stopped worrying, the Nine Realms would fall."

"That for sure." he kissed her forehead gently. "But, you cannot protect Loki forever. He is not as fragile as you think him to be. You have to let him see that for himself."

_Since when are you the one with more faith in Loki?_ Frigga almost asked the question out loud, but then decided to keep it to herself. Her husband was right. Her desire to shield Loki from every evil held him back. No matter how much she cared for him, she had to let him go. She had to let him _live_.

"I will try." she whispered.

No answer came. Odin's chest rose and fell peacefully as he slept.

_He is right._ she took her husband's hand gently, her fingers intertwining with his. _I have to let Loki go. He will be forced to face pain sooner or later, no matter how hard I try to protect him. Like Odin said, he is young. And he is strong. I have to have faith in him. He has never disappointed me and I do not believe this or any girl could cause so much change in him that he would. He will always be my son. And no matter what, I will always love him._

****I felt it was necessary to see reactions of few other characters to Loki's and Sif's fondness of each other ( it's totally obvious how _they_ feel ;) ). So, y**eah, this is chapter completely from mothers' point of view. Mothers know best, don't they ( no matter how hard we kids try to deny it :) ). **

**I wanted to show a little more of Loki's relationship with his parents than we got to see in the movie. Frigga definitely cares for him the most, but in some situations ( such as in this chapter :) ), Odin shows more understanding than her. He tries to be a good father and to show interest in Loki's life, but we all feel like 'nope, that's just not it, he doesn't love him as much as he loves Thor'. Their family has really interesting dynamics, so I hope the feelings between Loki and Sif won't make me forget writing these small family scenes. I feel they are as important to the story as any big events, because they give depth to the characters.  
><strong>

**I know this chapter was shorter and lacked Loki/Sif events, but I hoped you liked it anyway :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello once again :)**

**There won't be as many as long author's notes as in the last chapter, I promise. I just want to thank you all who read, review, favourite, follow this story. It's what makes a writer happy :D So, thanks people :)**

**I hope you'll like the chapter :)**

"Seeing something interesting, brother?"

Loki flinched at the sound of Thor's voice. He had been certain nobody knew of his hideout, but it seemed he wasn't as discreet as he had hoped to be.

"Thor." he acknowledged his brother's presence carefully, knowing what was about to follow and planning on how to escape it.

"You have been escaping your lessons a lot as of late." Thor moved to stand next to him, but Loki's gaze remained fixed on the training yard beneath them. For months he had been watching Thor's group train from this very window without being discovered. Thor was right about one thing. He needed to stop shirking long enough to master the cloaking spell.

"If my eyes aren't tricking me, you are doing the same right now." his gaze met his brother's challengingly.

Thor had no answer to that. Loki looked away from him again and then grinned smugly. His brother didn't need to know exactly how much he enjoyed this.

"Do you find no pleasure in Fandral's and Volstagg's company anymore, brother?" his eyes found the two, who were just sparring together. Fandral had a sword in his hand, while Volstagg preferred spear. "I won't even ask of Hogun. His company has never been enjoyable."

"Don't be mean, Loki." Thor scolded him for speaking ill of his friend.

"Don't tell me there isn't a single time you've thought he is too grim."

Thor opened his mouth to object, but closed it just as abruptly. Of course, he couldn't defend his friend anymore without lying. The day Hogun smiled was the day Loki gave up his life as an Asgardian prince and left to live as a farm boy on Midgard.

"Why don't you join us down there?" Thor said smugly, obviously having remembered how this conversation had actually begun. "I am sure there is _someone_ who would go easy on you."

"Well, I've always known you would never harm your own brother." Loki decided fake obliviousness was the best defence he had at that moment. But, he had to be careful. Thor was surely getting impatient with this game. He should flee before his brother actually made him go down there and face _her_.

"C'mon, have you even spoken to her since she came?" Thor refused to drop the subject. "No, you just watch her from afar, hoping she will suddenly and for no reason come to her senses and fall into your arms. Courting a lady usually demands you and her spend some time in the same room, you know."

Loki was well aware his brother had far more experience where ladies were concerned, but he couldn't help himself but to be annoyed. None of the usual rules could be applied to _her_. _She_ was nothing like ladies who usually attracted Thor's attention. _She_ wouldn't fall for the same words. Fandral had been throwing flattering words in her direction almost every day since she had come, but she was resistant to all of them. She remained cold as ice, focused only on training and improving her skills. Loki had never seen such devotion, such _love_ for what she was doing. His feelings for her were truly those of a desperate man; it seemed like she would always choose her sword over him.

"Thank you for your concern, brother, but I do not plan to court her." his voice came out colder than intended. "I ..."

"Why not?" a new voice suddenly joined their conversation.

Loki stiffened. Of all people in Asgard, it was just Father who had to overhear them.

"Father." he mumbled.

He looked out the window again, avoiding looking at Odin. He feared his father's reaction to any of his actions, having been exposed to too much of Odin's disapproval over the years. He didn't want to hear his father's opinion of how wrong in many ways his fondness of Sif was. He didn't want to see this small secret that brought him joy taken away from him.

"What are you doing here, Father?" Thor asked in cheerful curiosity. Loki's brother never felt the pressure of Father's expectations, for he always met them. For Loki, on the other hand, the level of All-Father's expectations was always too high to reach.

"I've come to see the warriors that hold future of Asgard in their hands." Odin patted Thor's shoulder. "Tell me, son, who has the most potential?"

_Sif._ the answer was on the tip of Loki's tongue, but since the question hadn't been posed to him, he kept his thoughts to himself. His eyes found her in the yard just at the moment she knocked one of the boys on the ground. _It isn't a lie and Thor knows it. Sif has beaten almost every boy in this yard. The only ones who have managed to beat her are Hogun and Thor himself. But, unlike Hogun, Sif shows passion about fighting. It is her life. For Hogun it is just his duty. How long can he remain as devoted to training and fighting before he concludes it just isn't enough? Although, it is entirely possible that he also enjoys it, but his grim expression is enough to fool the rest of us._

"Hogun is the only one who hasn't been beaten." Thor said in neutral tone. _By anyone except for me. It is not like you to leave that out, brother._ "Fandral and Volstagg always argue about who is better, but in my opinion they are even. Sif is doing well too."

Odin didn't answer. After few moments, Loki thought their father had decided to leave them. He was just about to let out a breath of relief when All-Father asked another question.

"What is your opinion, Loki?"

Being so surprised, he didn't even think before raising his head to meet Odin's blue eye. Father usually didn't ask for his opinion on anything concerning combat or warfare.

"I agree with Thor." he said carefully, not knowing what answer All-Father expected.

Odin nodded. Loki couldn't tell whether his answer had pleased him or not. Knowing their history, it had probably disappointed him.

"So, since Loki refused to do it, can I hope you will court the warrior maiden?" Odin addressed Thor. His voice was indifferent, but Loki saw a glimpse of hope in the blue eye.

For the first time in many years, Thor looked uncertain. His gaze locked with Loki's for the briefest of moments, but Loki was aware their father had noticed it.

"I do not see Sif that way, Father." his brother tried to smooth things and Loki was grateful to him for it, but he knew it would not be enough. "She is my friend."

Odin looked out the window, at the yard. Loki would bet his eye was fixed on Sif.

"It is a pity." Odin said after few moments of silence. "She would make a good queen. And wife."

Loki felt pain filling his heart at hearing those words. There couldn't be more obvious hint at who Odin thought Sif would make good wife for. He saw her only as a shield of Asgard, a weapon to be used by Thor once he was crowned king. He didn't care that someone else had already come to like her, even if it was his own son. But, Loki had never been as important as Thor and he would never be,

"I am sure she will, but to someone else." defiance was clearly heard in Thor's voice. He didn't want to discuss the subject any longer, at least not with Father. Unfortunately, he had always lacked subtleness and patience needed to end a conversation in a peaceful mood.

Odin's gaze returned to his eldest son. He studied him for few long moments before his gaze shifted onto the other son.

"I do hope you will change your mind, Loki." he said warmly, to Loki's big surprise. "She is rather beautiful and a good fighter. She is worthy of being courted."

Leaving those words hanging between them, Odin left. Loki couldn't separate his eyes from him nor speak for quite a long time after the All-Father was out of his sight. He wasn't used to this; to his choice being approved by Father. He had even suggested Thor to court Sif. That meant she had to be the right choice.

"I am sorry for that, Loki." Thor's voice brought him back to reality. "I would never court Sif behind your back. You know that, right?"

"Yes." Loki nodded. His mind still tried to process everything that had just happened. He remembered he ought to thank Thor for his kindness. "Thank you."

Thor smiled at him, glad that there was no ill emotion between them. They went back to watching the yard in silence, but after he had composed himself, other worries started to occupy Loki's mind.

"Do you think he knows?" he asked his brother. "Of how I feel about her?"

Thor glanced at him hesitatingly.

"I doubt he would have asked whether I would court her if he was aware of your feelings." he shrugged his shoulders, his tone lacking its usual certainness and determination. "I do not believe he would make you feel miserable on purpose."

Loki also didn't want to believe that, but sometimes it seemed Loki's happiness meant nothing to All-Father. Thor's happiness was a completely different story; Father would bring down all of the Nine Realms in order to assure it. Offering Sif to Thor on a silver plate was like offering him a toy, something to play with until he grew bored, easily replaceable and put aside.

_I am just a back-up plan to keep her here._ the realization suddenly hit him. It had been in front of his eyes the whole time, but he had been blinded by fake warmness of Odin's voice. He had been blinded by unexpected getting what he had always desired and tried so hard to gain; Odin's care of his happiness, sign of his love. _He gave his blessing to me courting Sif only after Thor had refused to do it. If Thor had accepted it, Father would have kept me and her as far apart as possible, so I wouldn't stand between them. Only if Thor threw her away would I have my chance to be with her._

He felt fury filling his veins like serpent's poison, from its source in his mind, reaching to every single particle of his body. But, this poison didn't kill. It set his blood on fire, a spark so different than that his feelings for Sif had awaken, but no less powerful. He had to stop asking himself what was so wrong about him that Father couldn't love him. He had to stop caring. He had to stop searching for signs of Odin's love when it was obvious even the ones he got were just lies Odin used to manipulate him. He had to stop _loving_ his father. Or risk being driven mad.

"Loki." Thor called him. His brother was looking directly at him right now, his features filled with concern. "Are you alright?"

"Can you teach me?" Loki asked in sudden hit of inspiration. Or madness. "Can you teach me how to wield a sword? _Really_ wield a sword?"

Thor was completely taken aback by his request.

"But, I thought you had no interest in being a warrior."

"I am a prince of Asgard, just like you." Loki said, his determination growing with every word. "Protecting the Realms is my duty as much as yours."

"But, Loki ..."

"I know what I'm doing." Loki cut his brother off. "But, I need your help, brother. Please."

Thor's blue eyes, so similar to Odin's, watched him in awe, as if he was seeing him for the first time. But, Loki didn't back off. He would do this.

_One day, I will be a hero of Asgard._ he saw Father in Thor's eyes. This was a message to him that Loki was done with being neglected. _And you will come to me with pride in your eyes, expecting me to rejoice for finally being accepted by you. But, you will find yourself disappointed, Father. I will not care for your pride. I will not care for your opinion. You will mean nothing to me, just as I have never meant anything to you._

"I will help you, of course." Thor smiled and Loki could finally see his brother again instead of their father. "Does this sudden wish of yours have anything to do with Sif?"

_A lot and nothing._ that was the honest answer, but Loki didn't want to be honest. No matter how much his brother loved him, Thor would never understand the resentment between Father and the other son. This was the burden Loki had to carry alone, like he always had.

He looked away from Thor, remembering all the times in his life he had felt ashamed. Somehow, his thoughts always went back to his dance with Sif or the day she had moved to the palace, when Mother had caught him shirking in front of her. Even though they had sent wave of unpleasant shivers down his spine, the memories did their job; Thor's laugh clearly showed that Loki's face was as red as tomato.

Right after he had left Sif in her room on that first day, he had hurried back to his room. In desire to see how badly he had been hiding his embarrassment in front of her, he had relived their conversation alone in front of a mirror. He had discovered that his cheeks became dark red whenever he thought of it, so he had learned _not_ to think of it. But, there was another side to that medal; whenever current situation demanded that he appeared ashamed, he could do it with no trouble. He was proud of himself because he finally didn't feel like an open book who everyone could ridicule just because he was honest. It seemed lies were much more useful than honesty.

"Alright, meet me tomorrow morning in the weapons-room." Thor interpreted his lack of answer as having none to give. "I will go easy on you because you are my brother."

"Don't." Loki forgot all about his mask and the warmness in his cheeks pulled back in front of cold seriousness. "I want you to go on me with your full strength. I will never learn anything if you let me get out easily. I'll survive a bruise or two."

"Or dozen." Thor mumbled under his breath.

"Even dozen." Loki said, ignoring surprise on Thor's face. He obviously hadn't been meant to hear Thor's last words, but it made no difference. "And no one must know about this. At least not until I'm good enough to face them in a combat."

Thor was completely surprised by his words for the second time that day.

"You really are serious about this." his eyes were wide spread, as if he had still believed until this moment that Loki was jesting, that this was some kind of game. "I warn you; it will not be easy."

"I'm ready to do anything." this time he could be completely honest. He could let determination show on his face for all the Nine Realms to see. He did not care what they would think. "Whatever it takes."

**Yeah. Dark Loki rising. I wish he could have stayed all sweet and adorable, but it had to happen sooner or later. His darkness is also a part of what makes him Loki, so I'm glad it happened when it did and how it did. I hope you liked it :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here I am again :)**

**Sorry about a bit longer delay, but you know, the book was calling ( and I don't mean the book I enjoy reading :P ). But, still, the new chapter is here :)**

**As always, thank you all who review, favourite, follow or at least read, you are all awesome :D ( you are also awesome for tolerating my grammar and spelling mistakes even though they sometimes annoy you :) I _am_ sorry about that. )**

**I hope you'll like the chapter :)**

"Good morning, brother." Thor greeted cheerfully. "Did you have a good night sleep?"

He watched as his brother closed the door of the weapons-room and came closer. Loki was pale, but no paler than usual, with no bags under his green eyes. Thor, with tan the colour of bronze and blue eyes like Father, sometimes couldn't help but wonder at obvious differences between Loki and himself. It wasn't just about their appearances. They characters and interests differed even more, as if they weren't brothers at all.

Knowing that, one could easily guess the reason for his delight. The idea of the two of them doing something together, like brothers, brought him more joy than he would care to admit. He was glad Loki wanted to be by his side to defend the Nine Realms. He was right; it was _their_ duty, not just Thor's. And he would give his best to prepare his brother for challenges that awaited them in future combats.

"I slept well, thanks for asking." Loki approached the table in front of Thor that was filled with all kinds of weapons. "Where do we start?"

"We start with you picking yourself a weapon."

Loki's eyebrows rose.

"I thought you were going to pick a weapon for me."

"Well, you thought wrong." Thor said, but not in a mean tone, grinning widely to show he was just jesting. He was here to encourage Loki, not to destroy his confidence. "Well, pick a weapon. Whatever you think it's best."

Loki's eyes went back to the table. He studied the weapons, reaching for a few, but never touching anything. At last, he chose a long sword and then faced Thor.

"What do we do now?"

"Raise it." Thor instructed. "How does it feel in your hand? Is it too heavy? Does it slip out of your hand? You have to trust your weapon; otherwise ... it won't end well."

Loki obeyed and lifted the sword, waving in indifferent directions with it. His moves were stiff, not used to the extra part of his arm.

"So?"

"It is a bit heavy, but I guess that was to be expected, since I am a beginner." Loki replied. His way of thinking was always so _logical_.

_Logic won't help you in this area, brother._ Thor kept his face neutral, but with lots of effort. _This is about instincts. They are the only ones fast enough._

"We'll see soon enough." Thor said. The sound of the door opening reached his ears. _Just in time._ "Good morning, Sif."

"Good morning." came the answer.

Loki's eyes spread in disbelief and panic. He stared at Thor open-mouthed, wanting to yell at him, curse him, maybe even punch him, but his hands and voice were tied. Thor was aware Loki valued Sif's good opinion of him too much to make a scene here. Besides, she was here and she knew; nothing could change that.

"Good morning, Loki." he watched Sif smiling at Loki, who almost dropped the sword in attempt to compose himself.

"Good morning, Lady Sif." Loki said before he turned to watching his feet as if they were the most interesting things in all of the Nine Realms.

For a moment, Thor regretted this idea as an act of cruelty to Loki, but then chased the thought away. Sif was the only one whom he could count on. She would not give the secret away or ever mock Loki, no matter how bad he was at fighting.

"So, did I miss something?" Sif approached them, her eyes fixed on the sword in Loki's hand. "Choice of the weapon, obviously."

"I wasn't aware you'd be joining us." Loki said to her, but when his eyes met Thor's, his tone felt like a splash of icy-cold water. "My brother was just about to explain."

"I can teach you much better if I have someone else fighting you while I watch." Thor explained nonchalantly, as if he saw no reason for Loki's anger. "I can notice your mistakes and correct them more easily. Sif has agreed to help me. That's all there is to it."

"If my presence bothers you ..." Sif addressed Loki, but he waved his hand, interrupting her.

"No, of course not." he even smiled at her. "I ... I just wish I'd been warned, that's all. I am not very good at this and I ..."

"I understand." she interrupted him too. Thor could see it in her eyes; she did understand what it was like to be ridiculed. "We are here to help you, not to make fun of you. You needn't worry. This will remain our secret."

Even though 'our' referred to the three of them, Loki's eyes sparked. The effect Sif had on him was amazing; whenever she was around, Loki seemed to shine from inside out, like the stars above Asgard.

Thor felt corners of his lips quirk up, but he didn't let himself grin openly. He had never been in love; he couldn't even comprehend how one could lose their mind over a woman, even if it was such an extraordinary woman such as Sif. It was quite ironic that his brother, who had always preferred company of his books and spells to that of any weapon, had fallen in love with a girl determined to become the fiercest warrior of Asgard. If somebody had told him in advance this would happen, Thor would have laughed in their face. But, he witnessed with his own eyes that it was happening. It was his brotherly duty to give a little push.

"Is your mind at peace finally?" he met Loki's eyes.

His brother nodded.

"Good. Let's go then."

Sif picked a sword and few daggers among the remained weapons. Thor saw Loki swallow hardly. He studied his sword reluctantly, as if he couldn't comprehend how it could possibly help him stay alive.

_Don't worry, brother._ Thor grinned just for a second, so his grin would go unnoticed. _She won't hurt you. Not seriously._

He led them out of the weapons-room. They couldn't train Loki there; anyone could come in at any point and see them. Thor was determined to honour his deal with Loki and keep this secret. Sif didn't count as a betrayal. As much as Thor knew, she was the point of all this. This was a perfect opportunity for the two of them to spend some time together. _If Sif doesn't break few of Loki's bones first. But, she won't. I hope._

* * *

><p>Sif followed Thor in silence, with Loki at her heels. As big as it was, the palace had lots of rooms with no purpose. Thor had chosen one in the Northern wing, as far away from the centre of the palace as possible. The royal chambers were in the Western wing, the guest rooms in the Eastern and practically everything else in the Southern wing. The only thing worthy of mentioning in the Northern wing was the weapons-room and warehouses full of supplies. As it was positioned furthest of Bifröst, Northern wing had been chosen and therefore prepared as refuge in case of siege of Asgard. Thor often said Odin liked to be prepared for anything, no matter how impossible it seemed.<p>

He let Sif and Loki enter before him and then closed the door, locking it just in case. Sif dropped the daggers she had been carrying onto one of few cabinets in the room, keeping only the sword, and took her position, facing Loki. Loki swallowed anxiously, his eyes never leaving her sword.

"Let's begin." Thor said.

Sif attacked so fast Loki didn't even have time to raise his sword. Room was immediately filled with metal clinking as it met the stone floor.

Loki's eyes met his brother's, filled with panic.

"Sif, I'd ask you to go a little easier on my brother." Thor had to intervene before his brother fled the room without looking back. "He is not as skilled as you."

"You said to hit him with everything I've got." she protested immediately, without thinking, as if it was Thor's fault that her expectations of Loki's fighting skills weren't fulfilled. Only then did she remember how her words must have sounded to Loki, whose face had gone from red like a cherry to porcelain-white in just few moments. She cursed herself. She had attacked Loki as if he were a match for her. She was here to teach him, not to show off. "I didn't mean to hurt you, of course. I just thought ..."

"You thought I wouldn't be as terrible at it as I am." Loki finished the sentence for her bitterly.

"I thought you'd had at least some kind training beforehand." she did her best to alleviate his harsh words. "That you knew the basics of defence."

"I know _some_ things." Loki said defensively. "But, you didn't give me time to prepare myself."

That was a mistake on his part. She remembered Agvald's lessons. Student could use ignorance as an excuse. Lack of time could not pass for the same.

She raised her eyebrows.

"And you think your enemies will do you that curtsey?" warrior Sif took control over the lady. She didn't let herself show – although she could not prevent feeling – even the slightest bit of remorse for treating Loki so harshly. Real enemies would not treat him any more kindly. He had to learn how to survive; she had to teach him.

Loki opened his mouth, but no words came out. Green eyes narrowed defiantly at Sif, but he couldn't deny she was right. After few moments, he shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

"You are right." he swallowed his pride. It was something to admire. "They will not."

"Pick up your sword." she said in commanding tone, but with an approving smile on her lips. "Let's start this again."

* * *

><p>"This is pointless, Thor." Sif objected his brother after she had knocked the sword out of Loki's hand for the sixth or seventh time in the last ten minutes. "Sword is not a weapon for Loki. You should have seen it right from the start."<p>

"He's chosen it." Thor protested. Nobody told the next king of Asgard he had done something wrong. "I trust his instincts."

_Thank you for your faith, brother, but it is obvious I do not posses battle instincts._ Loki had tried his best, but it hadn't been good enough. He had managed to avoid Sif's attacks more or less successfully, but defence hadn't been the problem. Offence had. Whenever he had tried to raise his sword first to knock hers out of her hand, he had found himself empty-handed before he could even begin to realize how it had happened.

"The sword is too heavy for him." Sif gave up apologizing to him for every word that could be interpreted as offensive. She was now in her warrior mood, which meant she spared nobody, not even princes. "If you won't be honest with him for his own good, I will."

"What weapon would you have given him?" Thor yelled, losing patience. He wasn't used to his decisions being questioned. "How could he wield a spear or an axe if he hadn't even mastered sword-fighting?"

Sif snorted in most unladylike manner. Loki watched the two of them bickering, angry with himself for being so bad at sword-fighting. Both Thor and Sif had expected so much of him, but got nothing. He had disappointed them.

He glared at the sword. He just couldn't get used to it in his hand. It slowed him down, made him feel as if his right hand didn't belong to him anymore. He didn't complain, thinking it felt that way for all warriors in the beginning. That surely wasn't the problem at hand. As much as it pained him to admit it, Father was right. He just wasn't a warrior material.

"You can stop arguing now." he addressed them.

Their eyes separated from one another and looked at him. He felt his cheeks redden, but ignored it. He had to face the fighting was his weakness. This wasn't worth of anyone's time.

"Look, I know I am a disappointment to you." he continued. "This was a bad idea. I'm sorry I've taken so much of your time."

He moved towards the door, but was intercepted by Sif. Her hand reached for his forearm, her eyes fixed on his.

"You are not a disappointment." she said so firmly that he almost believed her. "I blame your stubborn brother who can't admit he's given you the wrong weapon."

"He has chosen it." Thor snarled. "On his own."

"That is the same as if I expected you to choose me a dress and matching jewellery." Sif said with poisonous sweetness in her voice. She turned around to face Thor, but her hand still lay on Loki's forearm. "He has no experience in fighting. How you could have expected him to make the right choice is still beyond me."

"You are full of faith in him, I see." Thor said ironically.

Sif's eyes went back to Loki.

"It's not that I don't have faith in you." her eyes burned into his. He did believe every single word she said. He couldn't lie to him, not when they were this close. He could read her every emotion in her eyes. "But, I see sword is not the weapon for you. You need something smaller and lighter."

She let go of his hand and knelt, taking hold of pair of the daggers she had brought with her. She got up again and handed him the weapons. He dropped the sword and took the daggers. His fingers brushed against her palms, but instead of warm skin, they encircled the cold metal.

"Daggers?" Thor laughed sarcastically. "You'd have him fight with daggers? That's not a man's weapon."

Sif glared at him.

"A man's weapon?" she raised her eyebrows mockingly. "Please, do tell, what traits a weapon must have to earn the title?"

"Enemy can see death coming to them." Thor said matter-of-factly.

Sif scoffed.

"And they can't see a dagger?"

"It is like poison." Thor spat the words. "It can easily be hidden from sight, take life before anyone can figure what's going on. It can kill from distance, not in a direct combat. There is no honour in that."

"I'd rather have Loki alive and well with a dishonourable weapon in his hand than him dead with Odin's spear lying next to him." Sif's eyes suddenly looked for Loki's. "I believe it is what you want too."

It was, of course. Loki wanted to live, no matter how hard it was sometimes.

He had wanted to jump off Bifröst every time he had looked Father in the eyes and seen nothing but disappointment there. He had despised himself every time he hadn't been good enough at something and even more when he had been jealous of Thor for being brilliant at that same thing. He wasn't a son his father wanted, wasn't a brother that could make his older brother proud and contribute to his glory.

But, it didn't make him any less fond of living. He loved gleam that appeared in Mother's eyes when he succeeded at something. He loved the faith he was seeing in Sif' eyes now, because she believed in him. She wanted to teach him, she wanted to give him his best chance at surviving. She might even _want_ him to survive, because she cared for him.

"I'll take my chance with daggers." he addressed Thor, but then looked at Sif again. "Will you teach me?"

"Yes." she smiled widely, making her entire face brighten.

Loki returned the smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious. He was ready to try this again, with a weapon that suited him. Even without any experience, he could feel how much better the dagger lay in his hand, how wrong the weight of sword had felt before.

"I'll leave you two alone then." Thor's voice drew Loki's attention. His brother was already at the door, unlocking it. "Maybe Sif will turn out to be a better teacher than me."

"Do you doubt it?" Sif smirked at Loki, but her voice was loud enough for Thor to hear her words. That, Loki understood, was the point.

To his great surprise, Thor didn't turn around and spit some angry reply. It wasn't like his brother at all to back off from a challenge, but Loki couldn't question Thor's unusual behaviour for long. As soon as Thor came out of the room and closed the door, Loki was left alone with Sif and that thought blurred everything that had nothing to do with her.

_I'm alone with Sif._ it had taken so long for the realization to actually hit him. It sent shivers down his spine and his hands got cold like ice. _What will I do if it turns out I am as bad with daggers as with a sword? She has shown so much faith in me, but what if I can't meet her expectations?_

"C'mon, let's begin." she spoke suddenly. "I'll show you how to hold them properly first."

She passed him by, her shoulder brushing against his. He kept his eyes on the daggers in his hands, but he could barely breathe. He couldn't see her, but it made everything worse. If just her appearance made him want never to take his eyes off her, what could she do to his other senses?

Only a second passed before he felt her body leaning gently into his back, her breath on his neck. Her arm outstretched and her fingers glided down his arm. His body stiffened, goose bumps appearing all over his skin. Instinctively, he flinched, but her other hand grabbed his shoulder to steady him.

"Relax." she commanded, trying to correct his hold on the dagger.

He took a deep breath and swallowed. She asked the impossible. He couldn't do that, not when she was so close. He gripped the daggers even more tightly, making his hands hurt.

"Loki." she called, more gently this time.

She moved away from him, just enough for him to start breathing normally again. Still, her hands remained where they were. She moved to his right, their faces so close to each other that he could smell her skin, her hair. Her eyes, unlike his, remained on the dagger.

"Don't be afraid." she said as she positioned the hilt on his palm. "You can do this, I know you can."

_She thinks it is the fear of failure that worries me._ he relaxed a bit. It did worry him, but not as much as being so near her. Although, it seemed their touches didn't worry her. She was not the same shy Sif he had met few months ago; this was a girl who spent her every day among boys and had got used to being so close to them. Or had learned how not to let it intimidate her. _She has changed. And even though I've watched her every day, I didn't notice it until now. How can I even hope now that she will like me? What could she possibly see in someone like me?_

"There." she said, her hand moving away from his.

He quickly looked at his hand, not wanting her to notice how much her newfound confidence saddened him. He was left behind once again; a boy who didn't know nor want to grow up. Growing up meant being responsible, it meant mistakes couldn't be as easily forgiven. She understood that and gave her best to prepare herself for the day somebody's life would rest with her. He didn't want anyone's life to rest with him; how could he know he would not fail?

"What do I do now?" he managed to mumble, feigning interest.

"The same with the other hand." she said.

He adjusted his hold. He had to admit; he felt more secure holding the daggers this way. They lay perfectly in his hands, as if no enemy could make him drop them.

"Excellent." Sif nodded approvingly. "Now, attack me."

He raised his head abruptly.

"I ..." he didn't know whether this meant he could actually hurt her or that she would actually hurt him, considering she had just offered him advantage. "How?"

"Look at me." she said. "Lesson one: find a weakness in my defence."

_You have no weaknesses._ it was the first thing that crossed his mind, but then he pulled himself together. He would never learn if he acted like a puppy idealizing its master.

And right there, he saw it. Her left hip, left open because she used both of her hands to hold the sword.

He jumped forward, aiming at his target. But, before he reached it, her sword suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking the hit and knocking the dagger out of his hand at the same time. Before he could think of a plan how on to regain his dagger, she had already grabbed his arm and put her sword on his throat.

"Lesson two: don't fall for the fake-weakness trick." she dropped his arm almost immediately. "Pick up the dagger."

He did as she asked. He took his position again, determined to look at her more carefully this time. But, she didn't give him the chance. In a moment, she was attacking him, her sword aiming at his head. He jumped onto left, knowing inertia wouldn't distract her for long. He turned around and went after her, but she had already turned around and met both of his daggers. He tried to push her back, but she was stronger than him. She made a step forward and pushed and he found himself on the floor again.

"Lesson three." she said. "Going backwards doesn't mean cowardice. Sometimes it means victory."

He got on his feet.

"How many lessons are there?" he asked, adjusting his hold the way she had taught him and preparing for the next round.

"Nobody knows them all." she smiled in amusement.

"Alright." he shrugged his shoulders. He had already got few steps closer to her. If he could just sweet-talk her into forgetting what was really going on ... "What's the most important one?"

"That's easy." she raised her sword. It would take more than sweet-talking to throw Sif off balance. "Stay alive."

He looked her up and down. Her left hip was open again, but he wouldn't fall for the same trick twice. He had to come up with something she wouldn't expect, something, something ...

He grinned.

Something _distracting_.

**Yes, I'm evil. **

**I leave you with a cliffhanger just at the moment Loki's about to justify his title as God of Mischief. Don't be too surprised. I often sympathize with the bad guys in the books and movies and there are few good guys that I'd love to punch in the face. I can't help it, villains are much more cool and mysterious and complicated ( and often handsomer, beats me why :) I guess I fall for the 'bad-boy' vibe too, no matter how much I try to deny it :) Or maybe I'm just evil at heart. ).**

** But, I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as possible, so maybe that makes me a little less evil. I hope you liked this one :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I have no idea how I feel about this chapter. I can't help myself but to think I should have written it differently. On the other hand, there is no other way I can see the continuation of the events in the previous chapter. It's ... confusing. Yeah, I guess that's just the word, for me at least. I still hope you'll like it and other, nicer words will cross your mind when you read it. Don't hate me if it's bad :/**

**Here it goes ...**

Loki grinned. In an _up_-_to_-_no_-_good_ way.

Sif jumped forward, determined to mess up whatever plan he had come up with. There was another important lesson for him to learn; combats didn't usually go as one had planned them to. There were always unexpected turns and winner could become loser at any point.

He moved backwards, avoiding her hit. She regained her balance and went after him. Luckily, she raised her head just in time to see him half-throwing – half-pushing a cabinet towards her for her to stumble over it. She almost got knocked down by it, but her reflexes saved her. He got out of her sight for a moment as she went to her right to dodge the cabinet, but then rose and jumped away from her, cleverly avoiding another hit.

They faced each other again. He was breathing heavily, consequences of having lifted not so light cabinet, but there was a wide grin on his face. He checked the part of the room behind his back, but there were no cabinets there.

"I guess you have mastered lesson four." she nodded approvingly, but also raised her sword. The fight was not nearly done. "Everything can serve as a weapon."

He bowed slightly, but not enough to lose her out of his sight. He began to understand the game.

"I'm a quick learner." he raised the daggers, but didn't come any closer, challenging her to attack him.

He was still too confident for her taste. His last plan had worked. She would not fall for the same trick twice.

She remained where she was, watching his every movement like a prey watching a predator. Only, she had free-willingly let him be the predator. And this prey knew how to outsmart her opponents.

"Here is a lesson for you, Lady Sif." he whispered in her ear at the same moment she felt the cold edge of the blade on her throat. Loki she had thought to be the real one disappeared in front of her eyes. "Don't fall for the doppelganger-trick."

His other hand encircled her waist, the other dagger on her stomach. She could feel his chest against her back, moving backward and forward as he breathed.

He held her tight, not allowing her to move a muscle. Until now, the only one who had ever managed to catch her in this trap was Thor. She remembered Thor's strong arms surrounding her, making her feel small and helpless. They could have crushed her, broken every bone in her body.

To her surprise, Loki's body felt completely different than his brother's had. It felt just the right size for her to lean into it. It was reassuring and reliable; if her body suddenly started to fall apart, Loki's would keep it in one piece. He was holding a dagger under her throat, but she didn't feel threatened. If she could just make him loosen his hold on her just a bit ...

"It seems I have a lot left to learn too." she murmured, turning her head to the right, where she had heard him whispering.

He was closer than she had anticipated. Their temples leaned against each other, their breaths mixing. When her gaze met his, she could feel his hold tighten on her waist, as if he was steadying himself.

Her eyes fell on his lips as he licked them. It felt like an invitation, making her heartbeat speed up. She found herself at loss of breath, but alive and aware of him like never before. His lips were light red, like a cherry that hadn't fully grown yet. She could count every line on them if she wanted to. She could _kiss_ them if she wanted to.

_I could use it to distract him. Don't all women do that?_ a strange, but also exciting sensation appeared in her belly. She had giggled, talked, even danced one time in her practices to distract her opponents. She should know the feeling. But, this was different than anything she had ever felt before. No combat could make her blood stream as fast. Her body felt so light that it seemed the only thing preventing her from flying away were Loki's arms. Arms she didn't want to escape so soon. Did she want to _distract_ him or to be _distracted_ by him? She couldn't tell. Maybe both. That way she couldn't blame only herself for what she was feeling, but shouldn't feel.

She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Loki's lips, slowly, but unstoppably, were coming closer. His breaths were shallow, but reached her skin. They were warm, calling her, pleading with her to close the distance between them.

_Loki._ she breathed, his name on the tip of her tongue, but left unspoken.

It gained another new, completely different meaning. First he had been the unknown prince. Then he had become someone similar to her, someone who shared her opinions and experiences, someone she enjoyed talking to. After that, he had been the mysterious brother of her best friend, someone she had never actually spotted anywhere, but always felt his presence linger around the palace. Today, _now_, he was the man who held her in his arms, whom she desired to kiss. She didn't understand how he could ever have been anything else but that, because everything about him and her felt so _right_, so natural, like breathing, but breathtaking at the same time.

Suddenly, his daggers were gone from her belly and neck and it was just the thing that snapped her out of the bliss she had fallen into. She remembered who she was, who he was and where they were. She was Sif, a warrior in training, and he was Loki, the prince of Asgard. Her duty was, or would be one day, to keep him safe. She wasn't supposed to kiss him.

_If I do it, there is no going back._ she warned herself. This wasn't the path she was ready to follow. She couldn't. Her path had been chosen the day she had moved to the palace. Loki couldn't be in that path, not like this. _I can stop this. I can pretend it is nothing._

She gripped the hilt of her sword more tightly and before he could react, she threw herself forward, rolled over and then got to her feet. When she looked at him again, his eyes were wide spread, looking at her as if he was seeing her for the first time.

"Lesson five: Never let your opponent distract you." she grinned, but her heart wasn't in it. It was left behind at the moment she had decided to run away from his arms.

_Don't get attached._ she remembered Agvald's words. _To anything or anyone. One day you'll have to choose between your duty and everything you hold dear. It there are too many things dear to your heart, choosing duty will destroy you._

"I think five lessons is enough for today." she said when he didn't answer. "You did well."

He smiled, but she could tell it was forced. It didn't reach his green eyes, which suddenly became cold. His defences were rising by the second, as if he refused to acknowledge that something had occurred between them.

"Thank you." he said and then came closer, offering her the daggers. "Will you take them?"

"No. Just you keep them." she waved her hand nonchalantly, trying her best to keep her voice steady. "I'm sure few missing daggers will pass unnoticed. And if they don't, blame it on me. After all, it was me who took them from the weapons-room."

His smile did seem little more honest.

"Alright." he nodded.

She felt uncomfortable silence was about to fall down on them. She was determined not to let it, because it would mean admitting something _had_ happened between them.

_Nothing happened._ she repeated firmly, trying to convince herself. _It was just ... a ... a misunderstanding. That's all. I don't see Loki, or anyone, that way. If I did, it would endanger _everything_. _

"It was a brilliant move." she spoke of the first thing that crossed her mind.

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to elaborate.

"With the doppelganger." she explained, picking up the last dagger she had brought. "I would never have guessed it wasn't you."

"That was kind of the point." he chuckled.

Her eyes remained on the dagger in her hands, pretending to check it for corrosion. Silence threatened to consume the room again. She waited for few moments for him to say something else, but he remained quiet. She had to say something, _anything_.

"You once promised me you'd show me more of your magic." she remembered this wasn't the first time she felt awkwardly excited about being alone with Loki. Her thoughts wandered off to the day she had moved to the palace, finding her a subject to discuss. "Do you intend to keep your promise?"

She heard his steps moving closer to her. When she raised her head, he was standing barely two steps away from her. He was grinning at her, his green eyes shining mischievously, but despite the mischievous expression, it seemed as if she was watching him through armour made of ice. She thought she could still distinguish the sweet, shy boy she knew beneath it, but still it changed him, making his features unknown and strange.

She could not tell what he would do or say. She could have counted on his politeness and gentlemanly behaviour before, but her instincts were telling her that was no more the case.

"You would have me reveal all the tricks up my sleeve before I can use them to defeat you?" he asked in fake naivety. "I am sorry, but I will keep them for the times you won't expect them."

_This is but a game._ Sif knew she should not engage herself in it, but if he could jest with her, it meant everything was forgotten. That suited her just fine. _I might as well play it._

"It doesn't suit a gentleman to deny a lady her wish." she scolded him playfully.

"Trickery doesn't suit a lady." he replied in the same tone. "Yet, you've used it against me."

For a moment, she wondered whether he spoke of her wish to see more of his magic or their ... moment. The latter had felt completely out of her control and she refused to hold herself responsible for it, but she was sure that at the time it most surely hadn't been meant to be a trick.

"Says the man who can create illusions and pull tricks on others whenever it crosses his mind." she forced herself to pull herself together. She smiled sweetly, enjoying the opportunity to good-naturedly tease him. It was bringing her back to the time before _the_ _moment_. It gave her confidence things could be that way again.

"Yes, I've been called Loki the Trickster before." his grin widened even more. "Kind of has an appealing ring to it, don't you agree?"

"It sounds better than Sif the Trickster, definitely." she said and then chuckled. "But, not as good as Thor the Trickster."

He laughed, loudly and honestly. It warmed her heart to see the coldness that had been clouding his gaze disappearing from his eyes.

"Thor the Trickster." he repeated enthusiastically. "It wouldn't be bad, if he were actually capable of trickery. There are more accurate nicknames for my brother. Thor the Tactless, for example. Or Thor the Temperamental. Tricking demands _thinking_ and my brother _doesn't _think; he just acts."

Thor was known to be reckless; on that Sif couldn't agree more. It was a wonder ( or unique ability of a god ) that it never cost him. He won all the fights he took part in. She had wondered more than once at his inability to carefully plan his attacks, something she often did trying to think of a way to beat him. He acted solely on his instincts. They had never failed him, making it impossible to prove to him there was more to fighting than the most powerful strike.

"Alright, you get to keep Loki the Trickster then." she said in humorous tone.

"And you can be Sif the ..."

She stiffened as he tried to think of the adjective that described her best. She could not look at him. Only foul words were crossing her mind. Sif the Selfish. Sif the Shameless. Sif who had made him think she would kiss him and then changed her mind. It all came back to _the moment_. She should not have let it even almost happen.

"Sif the Self-possessed. Or Sif the Self-confident. I can't decide." he said at last, taking the weight off her mind. Those two weren't so bad. She raised her head, but before she could comment his choice, he continued to speak. "Though, you will always be Lady Sif to me."

She felt her lips shape a smile without her meaning them to. She obviously did like the last one best.

"I am glad to hear that." she said honestly. But, she knew she should leave before she fell under his spell and let it go too far again. Illusions weren't the only magic he possessed; she had experienced it first-handed. "I'll see you here tomorrow morning, then?"

She resented herself for noticing how beautiful he looked while smiling. She had never noticed that before.

"I look forward to it, Lady Sif."


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the delay. I had some things to deal with in college, but now I'm here again :)**

**Thank you all for your reviews, faves, follows and reading. It's always nice to know the story is appreciated :)**

**I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistake I've accidentally made ( as always ;P )**

**Here goes chapter 8 :)**

The seven stood on Bifröst.

Volstagg and Fandral, who along with Hogun now called themselves Warriors Three, made bets of who would kill more enemies. Hogun watched them silently, his usual grim expression plastered on his face.

Thor, as confident and proud as ever, watched Heimdall opening the passage for them, impatient to finally engage into a battle. He had taken part in dozens of battles by now, but experience made him no less reckless. He still ran into troubles head-first, but never had a single golden lock on his head been harmed. Loki couldn't tell whether his brother's secret was just mere luck or excellent surviving instincts.

His eyes then fell on the last member of their group. Sif was checking if every weapon was in its place; sword in sheath on her back, three daggers in her belt, one in each boot. She smiled fondly when she noticed him watching her. He quickly looked away, still not quite composed whenever she did that. He still desperately hoped those smiles meant something, but it never went further than that, not like in that first training. Loki hadn't even tried to make a move, not willing to find himself as disappointed as at the moment she had fled from his arms, grinning mischievously as he had been waking up from a dream. It had been a beautiful dream, but a dream no less.

During years and years of training with her every day, Loki had mastered fighting with daggers as well as if he had been born with one in his hand. They now felt as Sif had often told him they should feel; like extensions of his arms. Not only that, but his magic had improved as well. He could create dozens of doppelgangers at the same time, cloak the room the size of training yard, create much more vivid and believable illusions. The reason for that improvement was that he used all of his tricks in fights against Sif, practicing two things at the same time. She often spoke of how fighting against his magic helped her too, for she had learned to expect the unexpected and believe not only her eyes, but her other senses as well.

"Ready, brother?" Thor approached him, drawing his attention away from Sif for a while.

"Don't you dare to start with 'I remember my first battle ...'" Loki said immediately, cutting his brother off before he could start patronizing him. "Save it for your grandchildren – second thought, don't. Save it for yourself, that'd probably be for the best. The only one who can handle you talking about your great victories is _you_."

Thor grinned.

"Jealousy doesn't suit you, brother."

"It's not jealousy at all. I'm just trying to save myself and the rest of us from the endless torment called Thor's stories of battles."

"Remind me to tell you a story when we get back home." was there anything in the Nine Realms that could erase that satisfied smirk from his brother's face? Most likely, not.

"I think I'll rather let you live in blessed oblivion." Loki rolled his eyes. "For my sanity's sake."

"I'll see your behaviour when we come back home in glory." Thor said confidently. "Knowing your long tongue, many centuries will pass before you show us some mercy and stop talking about your first victory."

"I'm called Silvertongue, Thor." Loki grinned. He even kind of liked the nickname. Witty wordplays were his third and maybe his most dangerous weapon. He could get any information out of anyone if he bothered enough to try. "Do try to remember that. Although it's still beyond me why, people do listen to what you say. I'd hate to be recalled as Loki Bigmouth."

Thor laughed and patted his shoulder. Brothers liked to have words with each other in friendly teasing. Loki was secretly gloating that this was one of rare things he always beat Thor at. Though, he had to admit not every of his victories had been easy. Thor also had some witty thoughts in his blond head, if he just bothered enough to use it, in non-literal sense, of course. The story of Thor knocking the enemy down in clash of their heads still roamed the palace, even though it had happened more than fifty years ago.

"The passage is ready." deep voice of Heimdall notified them.

"Thank you, Heimdall." Thor nodded in his direction before taking his place right in front of the open passage that gleamed with white light.

Loki stood on his brother's right, Volstagg and Hogun right behind him. Sif took her place on Thor's left, followed by Fandral. For once, Fandral's eyes weren't fixed on a woman that had the misfortune to find herself right in front of him, but narrowed at the whiteness and what lay beyond it in expectation of upcoming battle.

When Loki's eyes met Sif's, she nodded encouragingly at him. But, there was no smile playing on her lips now. In few moments, this would cease to be a game. Should he fail, there would be consequences. Beyond the white light, beyond the borders of Asgard, safety was not guaranteed to anyone, not even to princes.

"Ready?" Thor repeated the question from earlier. It seemed the question was posed to everyone, but Loki knew better. There was no going back from this. He had to be sure of his choice.

"Ready." he said, his voice as calm and confident as others.

Thor turned around to look at him. His smile was filled with pride.

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>She was in danger.<p>

He had to save her.

Without a second thought, he threw the dagger, the last one he had. He would manage without it. She was more important.

He grinned as the dagger pierced the heart of the beast that had planned to sneak behind her back and cheat its way into victory. His hand hadn't shivered. The shot had been clean and precise, like she had taught him. Loki would never let Sif down. Never.

But, he had to think of his own protection now. He had to find another weapon.

There was nothing nearby but the sword, maybe Fandral's – he couldn't tell at the moment – that lay stuck in the chest of another adversary. Loki jumped towards it, avoiding hit of an enemy's axe. It was just a few steps away. He was fast. He would make it.

He grabbed the hilt. His instincts knew the enemy was about to crash him. He pulled the sword out and swung, wanting to block the hit.

It all came out wrong. The sword wasn't his daggers. It was heavy. It was long. It flew out of his hand and he didn't even regret losing it. He didn't waste a second, but jumped to the left, dodging having his skull split in two.

He rolled over, got to his feet and ran as fast as he could. There were dozens of swords lying around him, most of them having belonged to fallen enemies, but he would not make the same mistake again. Surely some of these creatures had carried daggers.

At last, he spotted one of his own daggers, stuck in the eye of the enemy he had killed what seemed like centuries ago. His limbs were getting heavier with each passing moment, but the adrenaline kept him going. He wept the sweat off his forehead before pulling the dagger out of the enemy's skull and then turned to face his hunter.

The creature was strong, but slow. It had more weakness in its defence than he could count.

_Excellent._ he thought smugly. _This will be easy._

He made a step left, then changed the direction before the creature could even swing at him. He ran the dagger into its left forearm, making it drop the axe. Loki then went straight for the throat, cutting it open and letting blood spill.

Today he had taken life for the first time, and dozens of lives afterwards, but it was for the protection of the Nine Realms and their people. He would do it thousands times again if it meant he could keep nations under Asgard's protection safe. Thor was already proud of him, he could see it in his brother's eyes. So Mother had been when he had left her this morning. He hadn't had time to meet Sif's gaze since the beginning of the battle, but the image of the same gleam in her eyes warmed his heart as if he had really seen it. Maybe, just maybe, this would be enough to please Father, to make Loki as worthy as Thor in that one blue eye.

He turned around and found Thor staring at him. His brother's blue eyes were nothing like they had been before. They were wide open and full of fear.

"Loki!" he yelled.

The tip of the sword erupted out of Loki's torso, just on the left of his bellybutton.

He stared at it as if enchanted, his mind blurred by pain and shock. His legs gave up beneath him. He touched the red liquid that flowed down his waist and fell on the ground like some sick imitation of rain.

Blood.

His blood.

His heart beat forcefully against his chest, black spots dancing in front of his eyes. No, this could not be happening. He had so many things to say, to do, to _be_. He could not ... he could not ...

_I was Loki of Asgard._ against his will and judgement, his lost mind started to tell a story. He did not want to listen, yet he could not ignore it. It was either that or pain. The pain was unbearable. _Loki Silvertongue I was often called.  
><em>

_I wielded daggers, unmanly weapon._

_I could do magic, create illusions._

_I had a mother, who loved me dearly. _

_I had a father, who manipulated me. _

_I had a brother, whom I was jealous of for being everything our father wanted in a son, but whom I still loved. _

_I loved a woman, whom I never had. _

_I was Loki of Asgard.  
><em>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey again, sorry about a bit longer delay. I've had a lot to study during the last few days, so I couldn't write as much as I would have wanted.**

**Thank you all for your reviews, faves, follows, they mean a lot to me. :)**

**I don't know how you'll like this chapter because ... well, you finally get to see why the story is titled 'Cold'. This will likely be the last chapter in pre-Thor time. The chapters to come will follow the plot line of Thor, but with few changes that will mostly be focused on Loki and Sif. **

**Well, here it goes ...**

_"Loki!"_

_Thor's voice, calling for his little brother. _

_She is sure this is not the first time she hears the call, in a tone so desperate, so full of fear. But, how could it be? Thor doesn't get desperate, doesn't fear anything. Especially not twice. _

_Or three times._

_Or dozens of times._

_Loki is there, only now does she see him. He is covered in blood._

_She sees him fall down on his knees. Loki doesn't bow._

"_Loki!" she blurredly remembers a scream that nobody hears._

_He is there, but not there. She is there, but cannot reach him._

_She fights to wake up, to realize that it is all just a nightmare. But, her eyes remain closed as her breathing weakens. She cannot draw a breath, for her mouth is full of blood. Loki's blood._

_She is the one who pleaded with Thor to take Loki with them. She is the one who proclaimed him ready. She is the one who failed him. _

_She will drown soon, she can feel it. There is no one to help her. Her heart pounds so hard against her temples, making her ears deaf even for her own desperate screams. She spits the blood, it glides down her chin, but more keeps coming. She tries to call his name, to ask for his forgiveness, but he is beyond her reach._

"_Please!" she utters one final word._

_Ground opens beneath her feet and she falls into the darkness._

"Sif! Sif, wake up!"

Sif snapped out of yet another nightmare. For a moment, she couldn't breathe, the remains of the nightmare still so vivid. She had to touch her lips and face to make sure they were not covered in blood.

After a moment of staring, she finally recognized the face that hid in the shadows, partly out of the reach of the light of a candle.

"Thor!" she breathed, both happy and dreading to see him.

She hadn't seen him for the last three days, ever since they had come back from the last battle. Thor had been carrying Loki in his arms, running towards the palace and its healing rooms. Since the door of Frigga's room had closed in front of her nose, Sif had seen none of the royal family.

What news did he bring? Would it turn out that the nightmares were the merciful replacement for reality? She did not dare to ask.

He sat on her bed in silence for few more moments, waiting for her to gather her courage, but when he realized her voice was as if taken from her, he took her hand gently, in a manner that reminded her of his brother. She could practically feel her heart being broken, for that was exactly what the pain in her chest felt like.

"Loki will live." he spoke in the gentlest tone she had ever heard from him.

Her own mind, which had been torturing her for the last three days, couldn't even comprehend his words at first.

Loki had died. She had seen the moment the half-dead creature rose just enough to run the spear into Loki's back. She had lost him. He couldn't be back. She couldn't bear the shame of looking into his green eyes again, knowing how she had let him down, knowing it was all her fault. She was weak. She _couldn't_.

"Sif?" Thor called for her. Her eyes met his; the haunted expression on her face reflected in his pupils. "He will be fine. Our mother saved him."

She opened her mouth, trying to think of a reply, trying to thank him, but instead of coherent answer, she let out a sob that in a moment turned into tears. Her head fell onto his chest as she wept, too heavily pressed by guilt to even hold herself upright.

"Sif." she felt Thor's hand on her shoulders, but he didn't try to push her away. He hugged her tightly and for just the slightest of moments, she felt at peace. He didn't hate her for having endangered his brother's life.

But, he ought to.

"It is my fault." she said against his chest, trying to stop crying, but not succeeding. "I insisted that he came. If I hadn't ..."

"It's not your fault." Thor interrupted her. "There were more enemies than we'd counted with. Nobody is to blame for what happened to Loki but them."

Sif wished she could believe that. But, she remembered the nightmares, the blood. She had been drowning in Loki's blood, the blood that had been spilled because of her.

"I should have protected him." she moved away from Thor, wanting to look him in the eyes as she confessed her guilt. "He trusted me and I let him down. He must hate me right now."

"He could never hate _you_." Thor said in soothing tone. "Once he awakes, you can go ask him and see for yourself."

But, Thor didn't know of the plague that devastated her mind of every happy thought. He didn't know of the pain that had taken even the idea of smiling again away. He didn't know of the weight of guilt on her shoulders. He didn't know of the darkness within her, darkness that promised the Nine Realms would burn and bleed for what had been done to Loki. In her darkest moments, she had to blame someone else for that or go utterly mad.

"I cannot see him." she whispered. "Not yet."

"I agree." he said, to her surprise. "You need to get some sleep first, Sif. You look as if you have died yourself."

_Do not speak of death to me._ she wanted to yell at him, she wanted to punch him for being so close to the truth.

"I'm fine." she lied defiantly.

"When I got into your room, you were screaming." Thor said firmly, not giving her the chance to deny it. She perhaps hadn't been able to hear her own screams in the dream, but they had obviously been as real as Thor's fingers around hers. "You look like you haven't slept for days. I can see you don't eat. You cannot blame yourself for what happened. You'll destroy yourself."

_Well, maybe that's exactly what I deserve._ she couldn't help herself but to think that.

"You don't understand." she roused her hand out of his and got to her feet. She moved few steps away from him before she turned around to face him again. "I cannot sleep."

_I cannot face those dreams again._ she added silently, not wanting to admit out loud that she was going mad. _I cannot leave myself at their mercy. I cannot lose Loki again. I cannot. I cannot._

"Sif, please ..." his voice suddenly lost that spark of happiness that Loki's recovery had kept in it. It sounded exhausted and empty and she realized he hadn't slept since their return either.

"You must get some rest as well." she cut him off. He deserved to sleep in peace tonight, not worry himself over her. She didn't deserve such a friend, such loyalty. "I will be fine, Thor. Don't worry about me."

"I wouldn't if I thought you spoke the truth." he got up to his feet and approached her.

She tried to escape his hand, which had reached for her, but even exhausted and sleepy, he was too fast for her. Before she could even protest, she found herself in his arms, one under her knees and the other on her back. It reminded her of the sight of Loki in these same arms when they had returned to Asgard. Without thinking, she leaned her head against Thor's chest, trying to wipe off the tears in her eyes against his shirt.

"I cannot trust you with your own safety, Sif." he spoke against her forehead. She could feel arms shake under her weight, but he didn't drop her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you will sleep in my room tonight."

"Thor ..." she whispered, but he ignored her weak attempt of protest.

After letting out a breath to put out the light of the candle, he carried her out of her room, through the countless corridors of the palace. She was so tired that she almost fell asleep as she lay in his arms, but the thought of nightmares that awaited her kept her awake.

Finally, they entered another room in complete darkness. Still, Thor found the way to his bed without any light. Sif felt soft pillow beneath her head and silken sheets that covered her just a moment after Thor had laid her on the bed.

He lit a candle and put it on the nightstand next to her head before wandering off to the darkness. She heard him change clothes and then mattress beneath her shifted as he joined her in the bed.

His hand found hers. It was warm and soft, unlike hers that was cold and felt half-alive.

"Sleep now, Sif." he said softly as his eyes met hers. "I am here."

She shouldn't be letting him do this. She could not sleep in his room, in his bed. It would be inappropriate as it was, but with her guilt of having almost caused his brother's death, it was far worse. She was not supposed to be there. She should be left to face her demons alone.

"Thor, I should not ..."

"You are my friend, Sif, and friends help each other, comfort each other." he said gently, but firmly. "Besides, I know how close you and Loki are. You have almost lost him to death. I will not allow that he loses you to guilt."

_How can he keep me if I have lost myself?_ she wondered in pain, too weak to oppose Thor any further. The worst thing was that he had spoken the truth.

Loki could _lose_ her, because he _had_ her. They shared laughs, fights, adventures, touches, glances and she loved every single bit of their relationship. Loki made her laugh, caused her heartbeat to speed up with his very presence. She was aware of those affections she held for him, but she had never known until now to which extent they went. It had taken him to almost lose his life for her to realize one thing: world without Loki was a world she didn't want to live in.

She had made the exact mistake Agvald had warned her of.

She had got attached.

* * *

><p>"Loki."<p>

He raised his eyes from a book to face the person he had impatiently waited to see for days.

She was dressed in her usual clothes, crimson breeches, black boots and shirt, most of her torso hidden under iron parts that replaced full armour. It seemed she had grown thinner, but she looked healthy. Maybe it was his eyes that had always been able to catch even the smallest details about her to blame. He thought of her so much that not even the slightest detail of her appearance could change without him noticing it.

"Sif!" he smiled widely at her.

To his surprise, she didn't return the smile. Her eyes were serious, darker than usual, as if she harboured some secret that ate her from inside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, but her tone was deprived of any emotion. He didn't understand this sudden change in her behaviour and he had to admit it frightened him.

"I'm fine." he said, cheerfulness gone from his voice. "How are you? Is there something wrong?"

"No." she shook her head immediately. She put a small smile on her face, but he knew the difference between her honest smiles and the fake ones. This one belonged to the latter. "I'm fine. Thor told me you wanted to see me."

_I wanted to see the old Sif, who laughed with me and enjoyed being with me._ he thought, not understanding what could possibly have changed between them. He had been unconscious for days and woken up only day before yesterday. He _couldn't_ have done anything wrong.

"Yes, I did." he said. An awkward silence lingered between them for few moments before he could no longer take it. "I wanted to talk to you. Thor told me you felt guilty about what had happened."

"Thor is a chatter-box." she said in a light tone, but the light didn't reach her eyes. Suddenly, she had troubles with looking him in the eyes. "I ... I did feel guilty about it. But ..."

"I do not blame you." he said hurriedly. "You shouldn't have borne that guilt, Sif."

"Thor helped me go through it." she continued as if he hadn't said anything. Ignoring him was not like her. He felt a stab of pain in the chest and it was not due to his injury. "I don't think I would have managed to handle it if he hadn't been there for me. I owe him, if not my life, then certainly my sanity."

With her every word, Loki felt as if his heart was shattering into pieces. It was _Thor_ who had helped her. It was _Thor_ who had been there for her. It was _Thor_ who had saved her. He could hear the gratefulness in her voice, for she really meant everything she had said. Suddenly, Loki was a meaningless figure in her life, someone who had shared her joy, but hadn't been there when she had needed him to help her beat her sorrows. He should have been there in his brother's place. He should have comforted her, held her in his arms until she believed everything would turn out alright in the end again. But, he had failed her.

He had lost her.

"Sif ..." he started desperately, but felt stunned when her eyes finally met his again.

"We shouldn't practice together anymore, Loki." she said. There was no malice or anger in her voice, just serious firmness of someone fully convinced of rightness of her choice. "I have obviously not taught you well enough. I couldn't bear another time that I would be responsible for your death on the battlefield. From now on, I will be responsible only for my own death, as a part of my task to keep the Princes of Asgard alive."

_So, I'm a disappointment to you._ he didn't know how else to interpret her words. She thought him weak, incapable of keeping himself safe. She would give her life for his, but only because it was her duty. Not because she cared for him. Not anymore.

"But, what about Thor?" the words escaped his lips as she turned around to leave.

She looked at him again.

"What about him?"

"You aren't going to practice with him either?" he asked, hoping she would say 'no'. If Loki couldn't have her, the last thing he wanted was that Thor had her. There were many things Thor had that had been denied to Loki, but loss of Sif to his brother was not one he could get over.

"I will continue my practices with Thor and others." she spoke in indifferent tone. "I came here first and foremost to become a warrior. I will not let anything stand in my way of achieving that."

For the first time in years, Loki found himself speechless. His mouth was open, but nothing but breath came out of it. Words failed him, for there was no way to describe his feelings. No words that he could allow himself to use in referring to his brother.

Pain.

Betrayal.

Jealousy.

Hatred.

"I wish you fast recovery, Loki." she interrupted the silence and bowed in his direction. Even though she hadn't used his title, he felt that she had abandoned their familiarity, that he had become nothing more but a precious possession to protect, like the ones Father hid in the vault beneath the palace.

Obviously it was not just Thor to blame. She had also chosen this, to become a stranger to him. She was breaking every bond that had ever existed between them, that kept them together. She shove it all aside like unpleasant memories.

If this was her choice, then he would make the same one.

"Thank you, Sif." he spoke in tone he had never used with her before, tone of a prince talking to a servant.

It was what they were now in the eyes of each other, precious things to keep safe or to play with. And he would play this game as long as she insisted on it. Even if it would be forever.

She had started the game, but he would win it.

**I can't help myself but to think they fell apart for all the wrong reasons. That's life, I guess. Even in fanfiction.**

**I'm sorry to deliver the bad news, but the updates will become rarer than they were before. I'll try my best to update once a week. Though, it's entirely possible I won't be able to update this next week. I still have some exams that demand my attention, but I'm also writing a dark Loki/ Sif one-shot that should be completed in the next few days, so I'll post that instead. I hope that can compensate the lack of chapter of this story :)**

**Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistake, I hope that they didn't bother you too much :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, here I am again. I'm sorry about the delay. I did publish that Loki/Sif one-shot I'd promised ( it's titled 'Mercy', if you haven't checked it out and you'd like to ), but I got a little bit stuck with this because I didn't exactly know how to continue it. I didn't want to repeat every single line of dialogue from the movie, so I had to think of something a little bit different. I tried to keep all the important things in it and all of the characters the way they are in the movie. I hope I succeeded at it, but I need you to tell me. Constructive criticism is always helpful :)**

**Thanks to you all who read, favourite, follow, and especially those of you who review, your support means much to me. I already have a plan for those little changes from the movie, so it won't be all the same as in it. Of course, if you have any idea that can help, please share it, I'm open for suggestions :) I really hope the story won't disappoint you :)**

**So, onto the chapter ten :)**

Sif couldn't help herself but to smile.

The big event had finally begun.

She watched as Thor appeared on the other side of the room and then started to come closer to them, waving at ecstatic crowd that cheered his name. An iron helmet decorated with wings in style of the Valkyries matched his dark grey armour, his appearance completed with long red cape that fell lazily down his back. Mjolnir lay in his hand as if it was made for it, weapon that had brought him all of his victories and allowed him to be where he was right now; about to be crowned King of Asgard and all of the Nine Realms.

Thor's smile spread from ear to ear. She knew how much he wanted this, how long he had been patiently waiting for this day to come. He bore a lot of love and respect for his father, but still, he longed for liberty to do as he pleased, to do what he thought it was right. Sif was glad her friend was, despite his stubbornness, pure of heart. He would make a good king.

He smiled at her as he was passing her by, his happiness quickly infecting her. She returned the smile with all of her heart and nodded at him encouragingly, even though courage was something Thor most certainly didn't lack. He moved on then, offering the same smile to Warriors Three and his brother. From her current position, she could see both of the brothers.

She hadn't seen much of Loki these last few days before the big celebration. The younger son had let all of the attention focus on his brother, or that was what he wanted them to believe. He had almost appeared to be quiet, shy boy she had met all those years ago, hiding from everyone's eye.

But, deep inside, she knew he couldn't go back to being that boy. That was why she didn't take his behaviour as a sign of letting Thor have all the desired attention. Maybe that was one of his motives as well, for she couldn't deny that brothers cared deeply for each other, but there seemed to be more to it than met the eye. Shadows in emerald-green eyes which avoided contact with anyone, his shoulders that always seemed as if carrying a heavy burden; there were so many signs of the pain that he kept buried inside, as if he didn't want to be reminded he would never live such a day.

She still clearly remembered the day their friendship had been shattered into pieces. She had no hope that any amount of time would be enough to mend it. She had never got that close to anyone, not even to Thor. She had never let herself become blinded by her emotions again.

Still, there was an ache in her chest whenever her eyes met Loki's, as if there still was a part of her that was that little girl who missed her friend. But, the coldness in Loki's eyes clearly gave away he didn't miss her anymore. He honoured her choice more than she did. It was what pained her even more.

"Thor, son of Odin ..."

She barely listened to Odin's speech. Her eyes were still fixed on Loki's back. It had been a long time since she had last felt this longing to see a smile on his face when he looked at her. He didn't smile at her anymore. He smirked, he grinned, but he never _smiled_.

It was only when Odin suddenly fell silent that she snapped out of her thoughts. The crown still rested in All-Father's hands, rather than on Thor's head. She could feel something was wrong.

"The vault!" Odin yelled and pushed the crown into Frigga's hands before grabbing his spear and running off in the direction of the vaults beneath Asgard.

Thor and Loki followed him. Sif wanted to run after them, but her eyes met Frigga's and the Queen of Asgard gestured to her to calm down the crowd, who started to lose control in panic that overwhelmed them. With the Warriors Three at her heels, Sif rushed to do as commanded, but still, part of her mind was with the princes. She knew they were both good fighters, but it didn't ease her worries. Memory of the day she had failed them still haunted her, even after so many years.

_They are with the All-Father._ she said to herself fiercely, trying to force her mind to focus on other things. It didn't exactly obey her. _He can surely protect them, better than I ever could. They are safe with him. They will be safe._

* * *

><p>After what seemed like hours, they finally managed to send everyone home in one piece. Sif's throat was sore from repeatedly speaking calming and reassuring words to people of Asgard, but she didn't complain. She knew Thor was feeling far worse than her right now. Of all days in long lives of Asgard's people, this break-in just had had to happen on the most important day in the Prince's life.<p>

Suddenly, a loud noise of something big falling on the floor nearby snapped her out of her thoughts. She ran through the door and found furious Thor standing over tumbled table and countless pieces of food tossed all over the room.

"Damn it, Thor, you destroyed dinner!" Volstagg complained, immediately picking up the closest pear. "I looked forward to this feast!"

"What happened?" Sif ignored Volstagg and went immediately to Thor.

"Frost Giants." Thor spat angrily, clenching his teeth. He was shaking in fury and Sif instinctively moved a step back. She didn't think Thor would ever harm her, but it wouldn't hurt to keep her distance.

"Frost Giants?" Fandral asked in surprise. "Where did they find the courage to show their ugly faces here?"

"They wanted the Casket of Ancient Winters." it was only when he spoke that Sif noticed Loki sitting on the stairs behind Thor. "Unfortunately for them, Asgard's vault gave them a _warm_ welcoming."

"Does Odin plan to send an army to Jotunheim?" Hogun asked. Judging by his always calm tone, one would think he wondered about tomorrow's weather, not start of a war.

"NO!" Thor yelled, obviously even more infuriated by the question. "He wants us to hide like cowards here in Asgard while the enemy is out there, making new plans about how to get their hands on the Casket!"

"He doesn't want another war." Sif tried to reason with Thor. She honestly believed Odin just did what he thought best for the Nine Realms. If the All-Father thought Frost Giants didn't represent as much of a threat as it seemed, she would trust his judgement. She had always done so during her service as a warrior of Asgard and Odin's judgement had never failed the Nine Realms down. "Besides, we all know there is few of Frost Giants left. They took us by surprise this time, but it won't happen again."

"Surprise or not, look how far they got!" Thor was far from convinced. "The only way we can assure this will never happen again is that we deal with the problem at its source! We must go to Jotunheim and finish what my father started!"

"Thor, Father forbade it." Loki objected fiercely. "You cannot go there without directly disobeying Father ..."

All three of them realized at the same moment wrong words had been said. If there was a sure way of convincing Thor to do something, it was telling him he mustn't do it. Sif saw Loki swallow hardly, knowing Silvertongue had just got himself, and all of them, into trouble.

"We'll go right now!" Thor announced. "We'll give them what they deserve and then come back home in glory!"

"Thor, we can't!" Sif fixed her eyes on his, as if her gaze could make him freeze where he stood. "It is forbidden. Besides, fighting them on their field is _not_ a good idea."

"C'mon, Sif, have faith." Thor grinned widely, passing her by. "I had faith in you when you were nothing more than a skinny girl who wanted to play with boys. Look how my faith paid off."

"She was more eager to _play_ with boys then than she is today." Fandral remarked, significantly emphasising the word 'play'.

Sif ignored Fandral. She was used to such comments from the biggest womanizer of Asgard. He was the same as he had been when she had first met him; all of the years that had passed hadn't changed him a bit. The only thing that changed was women who warmed his bed. Sif sometimes wondered if she and Lady Frigga were the only women in Asgard who had the sense to avoid his chambers.

"I was good at fighting even then; it was easy to have faith in me." she turned around to return Thor's grin, but only for a moment. "But, I'm begging you to reconsider your idea. We shouldn't leave Asgard."

To her great surprise, Thor nodded in agreement. But, the silence lasted only for a moment.

"I've reconsidered it." he said, but then smirked impishly. "And then I've reconsidered it again. We're leaving for Jotunheim." his eyes went over all of them, sparking with excitement. "Are you with me?!"

"Yes!" the Warriors Three rushed to his side. Volstagg punched him good-naturally in the shoulder and Fandral patted his shoulder. Hogun, who had never been a man of emotions, just nodded at him.

"Brother!" Thor's eyes went back to Loki, who stood behind Sif's back. "You are coming with us, right?"

Silence filled the room. Sif could hear Loki's intake of breath. She hoped he would side with her again. He was the only one reasonable in this room. He was the only one who could make Thor change his mind about this.

"For the sake of seeing you sit with your butt frozen in the aftermath," Loki said in mischievous tone. "I'm in."

Grin spread across Thor's lips. Sif rolled her eyes, knowing she had been beaten. That happened often when you were the only woman among bunch of reckless men, who were still more boys than men, despite their age of hundreds of years.

"C'mon, Sif!" Thor grabbed her shoulders. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

"Of course not." Sif snapped, seeing Volstagg imitate a hen behind Thor's back to mock at her supposed cowardice.

She grabbed nearest apple that had lain next to her feet and threw it at Volstagg. He caught it with no trouble and took a bite, as if it hadn't been lying on the floor before. That man just couldn't resist anything that could be eaten.

"I'm coming with you." she looked at Thor again. "Somebody has to watch over this kindergarten."

"Sif's babies." Loki said in amusement. "I like it. That's our new name as of now."

"Sif first has to agree to procreation." Fandral remarked mockingly. "Or at least to the act that is necessary for it. I'd be happy to volunteer."

"Shut up." Sif waved her hand at all of them. "If we're doing this, then get going."

"Yes, auntie Sif." everyone laughed at Loki's remark, but at least did as she commanded.

Soon they were all out of the room but her and Loki. His green eyes shone mischievously as he turned around to look at her after having bypassed her. She narrowed her eyes at him, but it just amused him even more.

"Coming, auntie Sif?"

"Don't you know what happens to children who don't behave?" she raised her eyebrows mockingly, having decided not to show her anger. He would not throw her off her balance again.

But, the gaze he gave her after her words was nothing if not off-balancing. He smirked in a way she had never seen him before, making goose bumps appear all over her body.

"They get ..." he let the silence linger between them before he drawled the last word in whisper: "_Spanked._"

She would have expected something like this from Fandral, not from Loki. It was a kind of slap in the face; he had changed so much that she couldn't even recognize him. And it had happened without her noticing. She missed the boy she had known so much at that moment that the longing manifested as prick of pain in her chest.

"Not in my _kindergarten_." she pulled herself together. "My methods of upbringing leave more ... permanent damage."

Grin suddenly disappeared from Loki's face, but it was back so quickly that she couldn't be sure if she had imagined the moment it had been gone. Knowing Loki, he had done it just to make her believe she had won.

But, it took much more to beat the Trickster.

"Then I should try my best not to anger you, shouldn't I?"


End file.
